Mighty Teen Titans
by Demod20
Summary: In a world after Darkseid and Luthor have vanished into the ether, a new threat lingers in the distance; one only Ace, the former Royal Flush Gang member, can sense. Can the former Royal Flush villain be able to stop the impending doom? Find out, in the Mighty Teen Titans! (DCAU Story Post JLU)
1. Assemble the Team

**Story Introduction** : I know this might be a bit unorthodox in terms of categories, but given the site doesn't have a broad "DCAU" slot I can choose characters from it's a bit hard to entice readers to what this narrative will be about. In essence, this will take place in the greater DCAU after JLU's episode prior to "Epilogue" transpired. Any relation to characters from the comics will be adapted with my own spin on them while other characters that have existed previously in mediums like BTAS and STAS will be referenced and kept in character as much as possible.

If anyone has anymore questions on how this Universe works, please PM and I'll answer any questions as necessary. Until then, please enjoy reading the story!

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Assemble the Team**

* * *

Something is wrong.

She knew this for certain. Ever since her departure from the Joker's side, placing his mind in a cage of madness from her own design did she get this suspicious feeling that the world was starting to unravel. It was subtle, like the tug of a thread loose from a carpet; its pull so gentle that none would notice unless you were acute to the discreet sound and vibration through space. It was only one of the many...'gifts'...she inherited after an extraordinary amount of battering tests Project Cadmus put her through.

Since leaving the Clown Prince of Gotham, she had no real goal other than finding out what her own path was. The identity she had was simply Ace but that name was part of a deranged game the Joker had. She thought her own bouts of madness could be empathized with him, but in the end he too feared and wanted to control her. No one felt the paranoia and the agony of being potential for unleashing a massive way of hysteria like she did that one day.

But when she quieted her mind and opened it through the past few years, she felt that eerie voice that seemed to be trying to entangle itself into creation. When she slept, she dreamed of a carnival of lights and phantom hands holding hers whom she imagined was her family. But now, she saw nothing but silhouettes with no eyes and an empty hole where their mouths would be. The carnival was the pyres of humanity's bodies, heaped up on top of each other like dried leaves and left to burn in an endless plain of ash.

" **The world is going to die**."

This was the conclusion she reached as the severity of her nightmares grew more blatant in its warnings. The conscious sensation of a creeping cold and the whispers in her unconscious thoughts. She couldn't beat this, no matter how much stronger she felt since that day she became free from others' control.

She didn't trust anybody, so asking for aid from just anyone wasn't going to help her. Who would believe her? There wasn't a single human being, let alone extraterrestrial, she could depend on with something this vague but also this crucial. The end of all life of Earth was at risk if not even greater than her understanding.

But the time she spent thinking, her thoughts turned to the Dark Knight. Unlike the others who were petrified, he had somehow maintained his sanity among the distortions she projected into his mind. Throughout it all, he was assured she was not the enemy and that the Joker had hidden something; helping her reveal he had intended to shackle her the moment she was a threat.

If there was one person she could fathom, it was him. Through contact she had read his mind and saw fragments of his life, not entirely cohesive but gave her a rough idea where to start looking. While it only now dawned on her through the passive reading of the many minds of individuals she came across without them noticing her, she knew where the first individual who could help her.

One that was tied personally to the Batman himself.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HELP ME!" A scream rang out into the night by a blonde woman wearing a Dutch Cap, covered in a brown trenchcoat and lowered to the ground in a defensive posture. A burly man with a gun aimed at her was reaching out towards her with a grin on his face. It looked like it was over, till a slender blur of red and black swung from the air via grapnel to perform a whipping double kick to the side of his head.

With the criminal sent hurling to the wall of the alleyway, he slumped unconscious while landing with his back to her, ensuring there were no more attackers.

"Don't worry, maam, you're safe now," Robin, the third generation of Batman's sidekicks also known as Tim Drake, stated professionally in as deep a voice a small teenager could manage.

A sudden chill went up his spine when a bimbo pitch came from the heft of something heavy being lifted from behind. "Not for long, bird boy!"

Turning around he saw too late an enormous mallet racing to hit him in the side. It's massive face was too large to avoid and he reacted too late to realize this was a set-up. He attempted to raise his hands in a feigned attempt to defend himself before a walloping pain followed by unconsciousness...

...that never came.

"Hey?! What's the big idea?!" The disguised Harley Quinn sneered, trying to heave her cartoonishly large weapon from the air it had suddenly frozen upon. No matter how hard she budged, it remained still in the air. The sight even mesmerized Robin with awe and shock, realizing something had intervened. "Ngh! It won't! Budge! Mista'! Jay!"

"Can't you do anything right, Harl?!" Joker revealed himself from the dim setting of the doorway he had concealed himself within. He had begun withdrawing one of his trademark 'Bang' pistols to knock the Boy Wonder out, till it had been wrenched from his grip and smashing against the side of his henchwoman's head. With her knocked out, he gaped and looked around, angrily balling his fists at his side at this interference in his master plan. "Alright, wise guy! Show yourself, or I'm going to do-"

"Do _what_?" A voice suddenly echoed the alleyway, making both Robin and the Joker look up at the air above them. There they saw a girl near Tim's age, hair of jet black flowing animatedly around her head with her onyx eyes glowing a haunting gold that glared menacingly. With her slender young frame adorned with the black and white sleeved body suit with pale boots, with a "Ace" marker of black on the white right side of her covered bosom and a hair pin of black on the left side of her hair, little had changed other than time for the terror that nearly drove the country mad with his schemes.

Ultimately, this made the Joker squeak with impotent fear at her appearance. Nearly wetting himself, he stumbled back into the darkness and scampered away on his hands and feet away. Not caring whether Harley survived the encounter, his priorities enabled him to escape a second dose of madness he wishes not to repeat; not even he was that crazy.

"Whoa," Robin shook his head, finally shaken out of the trance of what had transpired before his very eyes. She landed on the ground, making him look at her warily as she blankly looked at him. A subtle tickling could be felt in his head, as if something was off by the way she stared at him. After this continued without her saying anything, he sheepishly chuckled and waved at her. "Hey, uh, thanks for the assist but...do I know you?"

"No, you don't," She answered thus.

"Oh," He replied, blinking behind his domino mask. Tilting his head, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned bodily forward. "Ah, mind telling me who you are?"

"I don't know who I am, exactly," Again, she answered in a blunt manner. Seeing him squint and look more confused made her sigh. Closing her eyes she faced him more directly and looked at him morosely. "I'm a test subject from a government black site called Project Cadmus. They gave me a serial that I rather not be called by, and the man who just ran away called me, Ace, after the playing card. I'm more fond of it even though I don't like the man who called me that."

" _Cadmus? Isn't that the group Batman dealt with the Justice League?_ " Robin pondered inwardly as he mulled over the information.

"Yes, the one you call Batman is a member of the Justice League that fought alongside my fellow test subjects," She replied, startling Tim to reflexively step back with his mouth slack jawed. "They aren't my friends, though."

"Hold on, time out!" The young progeny of the Dark Knight signaled with his hands, waving his hands with a bit of exasperation towards her. "Did you just read my mind?"

"Yes," She answered candidly.

"Mind not doing that? It's kind of invasive and a bit creepy," He visibly grimaced as he urged her.

"Okay," She replied stonily.

Robin flinched, leaning back with an upraised brow. Raising a finger, he asked with consideration, "How do I know you won't just enter my mind whenever you feel like it? No offense to my savior and all, but I just met you."

She stared blankly back at him as she continued speaking, "Robin, I know this may be difficult to believe, but I need your help fighting an unknown threat to the Earth. Very soon, the world will be left a graveyard with the humans and aliens alike left to burn in mass pyres with the soil turned into a desolate ashen wasteland."

Robin felt himself pale seconds after realizing she wasn't joking. Her very appearance was so out of the blue along with her rescue from an ambush from the Joker and Harley couldn't be coincidence. The eerie way she spoke and her bluntness meant she wasn't out to trick him, so this menace had to be real.

Still, the more rational part of him made him aware how out of his depth. An inkling was raised, one that made him start to speak which made Ace shake her head to discourage it.

"We can't alert the Justice League, nor your mentor, Batman," She intoned seriously, ignoring his look of annoyance at his thoughts being glanced at so casually. "I've spent my whole life controlled or feared by adults. I'm done with them. Even if they are career heroes, I won't chance us losing the opportunity of averting this terrible future by being scrutinized by people who aren't aware of this danger like I am."

"Yeah, well, what can just the two of us do? I'm good, but I'm no Dark Knight," He admitted with a scratch of his chin. The brief sight of her wry grin brought him to focus, making him sigh and rub the bridge of his nose. "Let me guess, I'm just the first person you thought of?"

"Your competence as Batman's partner, along with your wit and quick thinking, will be invaluable for inspiring our team," Ace explained with a wave of her hand. "While I'll be your guide and adviser, you shall be its leader."

"What makes you think I'm qualified? Not that I'm complaining at the choice, I'm just wondering how a stranger like me is-wait!" He stretched his hands out, his head bowed and his shoulders sagged. "I know, you read my mind like a book, didn't you?"

"Most of it, yes," She answered with a shrug. "It's better I know who you are and what you're capable of in person, rather than by someone's own accounts of you. It's more honest that way."

"Still rather you don't do that," Tim growled out with annoyance.

She didn't bother replying, beginning her walk out of the alley and away from the unconscious Harley. "Come on. It's time we go meet the rest of the team. I picked out an extensive group all from Batman's experiences so they should be a little recognizable to you."

"Greaaaaat," Robin exaggerated out with a roll of his eyes. "Note to self, gonna make sure to keep my thoughts very discreet."

"I can hear you, you know?"

"Give me a break, will ya?!"

"I'll think about it," She answered quietly, as the pair journeyed into the night of Gotham City.

* * *

In retrospect, Robin admitted that he was being a bit naive in trusting this random girl. This was from a case of Batman's earlier Justice League missions, where he alternated in dealing with Gotham and the other big name heroes. With such a grander goal of helping the world rather than just one city, it was understandable if he missed out being informed from time to time unless it was brought up by the news or was evident by the wear and tear the Dark Knight wore on his sleeve.

But, given the way she helped him without batting an eye and seemed to know a great deal about him -for better or worse- it didn't seem like she was the untrustworthy type. Just, weird; something he was more or less used to from his line of work.

While the journey across Gotham was a bit silent, despite the sounds of the night filled with activity or silence, depending on the district they were in. Drawing close to a chemical plant, they stopped for a few seconds and she deviated her path on the sidewalk towards it.

"This way," She urged quietly, giving Robin goosebumps from the creepiness in how she spoke.

On their way past a broken security fence, the Boy Wonder noted distinctively large and inhuman tracks leading towards a hole made in the old concrete laden infrastructure. Upon entering, with the psychic girl still taking point, they both heard sounds of meddling and grating metal. Passing through a larger open space filled with conveyor belts lined up next to large vats of processing chemicals of various forms, they'd see a large brown shape wrapping its arms around a barrel and observing some stirring stew. Tossing it aside, it looked at another, repeating the action as he searched desperately for something.

"Careful, that's-"

"Clayface, one of your archenemies from previous experience," Ace readily answered, showing her knowledge was adept of the current situation.

"So, what? You want to team up with big, ugly and nasty?" Robin inquired with a hint of disbelief, masked by a bit of a jocular tone.

She didn't answer, simply lifting herself up in the air under her own power and levitating towards him. Despite the sidekick's aghast view of her approaching one of the Detective's rogues' gallery so casually, he took cover and attempted to flank him while drawing a batarang for handy use. With his back against a forklift, he slid up and looked over his shoulder through the seat to see what the mystery girl was going to do.

"Matthew Hagen," Ace declared in a more authoritative tone, keeping a blank expression as the mud clad shapeshifter turned to look at her curiously. "You have someone I need. I'd rather you give up willingly so I don't need to hurt you. Will you comply?"

"Who the Hell are you to ask anything of me? You stupid?" The shapeshifter turned, his imposing height towering above her. Grinning, he formed a sword connected to the brown mass of his elbow that was longer than she was tall. "Get lost, or I might consider dicing you up. I'm not in the mood to-"

"I'll take that as a _no_ ," Ace intoned, her eyes becoming a pupiless gold as her psychic grip reached into his consciousness. Immediately he began to jerk and scream with pain, his body contorting and jerking in odd directions as she scoured the abyss that was his head.

"Hey! What's the matter with you?!" Robin shouted with perplexity from behind the fork lift, feeling alarmed at the sounds of pain she was putting him through. With his hands cupped around his mouth, he insisted with a near angry glare sent her way. "Let him go!"

"I'm not done yet," She spoke back, her right hand raised as she lifted up the indistinguishable pile of Clayface. "It's buried, deep within. You may not remember it but it's just like everybody else. Just because it's forgotten doesn't mean it never existed. And for that, I'll take what you don't need," Clenching her hand into a fist, a sudden eruption from the pile swirled up into the air and created a perfect sphere. "And use it for a greater purpose!"

Hagen's cries petered off as a host of his grotesque body was siphoned up into the air above him. Once fully manifested, his body returned to a humanoid shape minus a large hole in his chest. Reconstituting to be a foot smaller and filling the void that was left behind, it appeared that from his lack of expression and the gaping mouth it looked like he was brain dead.

"Ace!" Tim cried out, stomping over to her. He had no love for this particular criminal of Gotham, having dealt with a sensitive matter to him long ago. But what he saw was cold, calculated torture in his eyes. He reached for her shoulder, just as her blank stare looked over to glance at him nonchalantly. "You mind telling me why you just-"

"Catch."

"Catch wha-?" He began to say, until he saw the orb of mud suddenly plummeted towards him. During the fall he saw a rapid transformation, something human and familiar. A pit in his stomach gnawed in his heart as adrenaline pumped through his veins and his eyes widened behind the mask. He knew it couldn't be, but as his body leaped up to catch the figure, it was all too true. Dropping back down to the ground in a crouch, he trembled and his eyes watered up as his throat clenched. Robin could barely speak as the familiar young face winced and grimaced before his eyes, the warmth of her proximity felt in his arms.

"A-Annie?" He finally choked out, his words bringing her to consciousness.

"Robin?" She questioned out, her eyes fluttering wide and breath hitched. "How-?"

"Annie, it is you!" He exclaimed, letting out a laugh as he spun around and hugged her tightly, the tears stinging his eyes but he didn't dare wipe them for fear of this miracle disappearing. "You're alive!"

She was so confused. It was like she was asleep for a long time and just woke up. The last she remembered was desperately pleading for Robin to run away, hoping her sacrifice would save him. Seeing him here, excited and alive, made tears run down her face as she buried her face into his neck and began sobbing with a trembling quiver of her lips.

Amidst Robin's elation, he remembered that in her mind -and his not long before- she had died years ago. If what she remembered was her last moments spent in terror, it was understandable she was overwhelmed. Holding her close, he just smiled and waited for her to recover.

"Y-You came back for me. I don't know how, but you saved me," She exclaimed, sniffling as she pulled back from his neck and smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me," He shook his head, nodding over at the emotionless visage of Ace looking back at the two patiently. "Thank her. She's the one who pulled you out of Clayface."

Turning to see the virtually silenced man she once confused for 'father', she cast her gaze in Ace's direction. With her smile softening to a look of concern, she opened her mouth and asked, "Is he-?"

"He's not dead, nor is he permanently comatose," Ace explained, turning to look over her shoulder at the pile of sludge that resembled a person. "I put him in a, _looping nightmare_ , as it were. I conjured something from my own mind and made it into a box he can't escape from; about the next three days."

"He'll come after me-"

"I assure you, he won't," The psychic intoned, a slight smile worked its way up her usually stoic face. "If Gotham's Police hadn't been notified by the break-in to this factory, I'll make an anonymous tip about his intrusion and reckless vandalizing of private property. Trust me, he's going back to prison where he belongs."

"I-I see," She shook slightly, breathing out a sigh of relief. Let down from Robin's tender embrace, she ran unexpectedly over to her and gave the floating girl a big hug. Caught off guard, she just looked at Robin with confusion and then back at her. She only heard an audible whisper that was echoed in her mind, taking her breath away. "Thank you."

Dropping to the ground, Annie backed up and Robin joined hands with her as the two looked on with mutual newfound trust in the mystery girl. When Ace explained the situation to her in a smaller summary did she realize that she was needed for help. Had it been anyone else, they would possibly feel indignant for only being saved for a selfish reason. But due to the plight of this alleged threat and the amazing miracle performed, both looked at each other with smiles and turned back to the psychic with commitment to the psychic.

"We've got your back," Robin stated with a smile, Annie nodding with affirmation. "Just tell us who else you were planning on recruiting."

With a look of relief in Ace's eyes, she professionally turned to walk towards the exit of the factory with the pair in tow. When they left the confines of the work space, she began to float upward as she spoke to them, "We're going on a little trip. I hope you don't mind heights because it'll be easier if I carry you both."

"Aren't we a bit too heavy for yo-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU?!" Robin asked too late as he and Annie clung to each other as they were both lifted up by Ace's telekinesis. Like feeling an intangible force pulling them up, they dangled and kicked but felt almost no weight as they were propelled into the sky behind Ace.

After they had climbed a significant altitude, Robin and Annie were given a spectacle of breathless splendor. The dazzling lights of Gotham City in the night, with twisting Gothic towers and arches with a plethora of statues or gargoyles mingled among the taller structures of old and new design. With hands held tight, they both exchanged open smiles as they soared like Peter Pan across heavens away north up the coast.

Where were they going? Who else was going to help them stop this ominous threat Ace senses? Knowing Ace's endless penchant of suspense, he knew they'd find soon as they soared across the eastern seaboard towards their next destination.

* * *

 **A/N** : And that is the pilot for my new story, the Mighty Teen Titans. I have big plans for this team and will, in part, be part of a greater narrative that will evolve over time that I work on it. However, knowing that this will not be based on the comics but on the past DCAU, will make things a bit interesting.

Being set in the Bruce Timm co-created Universe of the Justice Leage Unlimited, Batman and Superman animated series', I'll be taking a few creative liberties to alter and deviate character origins and likeness so that they can fit this narrative. Given it was vague events like particular episodes like "Growing Pains" when Annie was absorbed into Clayface, the episode Ace debuted in the Second Season "Wild Cards," and Ace's untimely demise in the flashback of the Epilogue for JLU, I'll no doubt be precariously meshing character and story histories so they seem more seamless.

Given how much I like the idea of the untapped potential of Ace being her own self-trained psychic being the herald of a prophetic nightmare coming for Earth was akin to how Raven gathered the Teen Titans in the original comic to thwart Trigon. The only difference is that, as powerful as Ace is, she's very blunt and ignores most obstacles in preference to steamrolling through them. Hence why she had no problem choosing the artificial daughter of Clayface by ripping it out of him instead of using a more available member.

I hope the interactions between Robin, Ace and Annie were solid as I tried to make some genuine humor and heartfelt moments to offset the grim introduction of this series. Please let me know in the Review section below what you think, what you hope for this story and other things of that nature. If you have particular questions, feel free to add them in or send me a PM. Until then, I'll see you all in the next eventual (or soon to be released) update for this story!


	2. Marvels, Geniuses and Archers

_Last time on the Mighty Teen Titans!_

 _Ace, the psychic project from a Black Ops Organization of the US Government known as Cadmus has spent the last several years wandering the country. During her time developing her skills, evolving, she began to sense a great unease coming for everyone. With nightmares of a certain death for all those that live on the Earth, she determines that she alone must stop the menace; along with the help of a team of her own choosing, that she can trust and help with her own abilities._

 _Having recruited Tim Drake, the third generation Robin, and his long presumed dead friend Annie, the self-aware copy of Clayface she is now heading to another select individuals she selected from Batman's memories. Ones that she deems as particularly vital candidates. Will they join? Find out, in the Mighty Teen Titans!_

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Marvels, Geniuses and Archers**

Mary Batson was restless. A lot of things happened in the ensuing past few years. She learned of her twin's existence of living a life in a alter ego fueled by magic from the great wizard Shazam and the six deities who give him respective abilities. In a frightening altercation that threatened her life, Billy saved her and in the process connected the two to the Wizard as she became a new addition to the "Marvel Family" as Billy put it.

Mary Marvel was her new identity and would transform as an adult when speaking the magic word. It was exhilarating, terrifying, freeing and also difficult. With her needing to conceal her secret from her adopted parents it felt like she had a lot to handle on her plate. She knew her brother had it out with his guardian and that he didn't have a problem keeping the secret between her and him, but living with parents who were ignorant was a true pain.

"Ugh, and it's not like I can talk to anyone at school. Most people would just freak out or spread the word," She grumbled to herself, rolling to and fro over her bed while occasionally kicking with annoyance. Grabbing a plush pillow to cover her mouth, she sighed, eyes staring up at the stars painted on her black smooth ceiling. "I'd love to just have a friend or two, to confide with. Billy isn't enough. I gotta get out and meet anybody, just so I can have somebody to talk to about this superhero shtick."

Her musings, however personally pressing, were interrupted by a sudden whisper in her head. And while she ordinarily think it was just a thought of hers, or perhaps -not even that strangely- her twin brother attempting to contact her through some fantastical means. No, it was an actual whisper that was comprised of a young girl's voice in the most blunt manner possible.

" **Mary. Mary Batson, are you awake?** "

" **If I'm not, then you just woke me up, you rude...uh?** " She replied with a set of blinks, arching her head in different directions while scrunching her brows with annoyance and confusion of equal measure.

" **Call me Ace**."

" **Like...an ace shot, ace pilot, an ace of a deck of cards?** " Mary raised with her further inquiry.

" **Just Ace. Now** **please, come to the window. My friends and I are outside. It'd be more appropriate if we discuss this vocally instead of** -"

" **Through my brain waves?** " Mary thought with a deadpanned tone.

" **Precisely**."

" **Well, let's see** ," She sputtered, walking towards the window with a hint of caution. As much as she didn't want to admit it she could easily turn into Mary Marvel in a snap. If she could avoid scaring the daylights out of her adopted parents, she would.

Approaching the window, she got a view of her telepathic callers not on the ground looking up but looking straight at her through the glass barrier between them. It almost caught her off guard, stumbling back and raising hands up defensively.

" **We mean you no harm** ," Ace intoned as sincerely as she could.

"What she said," Robin said in a muffled voice, thumbing towards her.

Annie tried to nod convincingly in return, though still was a bit shy at meeting this complete stranger for this even stranger mission. It was all still new to her, but she tried her best to be supportive.

Whatever the case was, it was enough for Mary to pitter-patter quietly to the window and slide it open.

"Just be quiet," She held up a finger to her lips, whispering as she nodded to the closed door behind her. "My parents are asleep and I rather not have to play a comic routine of 'hide the unexpected guests in my closet'."

"That would be awkward," Robin chuckled softly, deposited awkwardly in with Annie who caught him by the hand. Grins were exchanged between the pair, their hand hold separated as the stoic Ace passed between them. Averting an embarassed glance, he looked up at the blonde with a sheepish grin. "Sorry for us barging in here. I would've just waited till tomorrow if I remembered how late it was."

"It's fine, it's fine," Mary played it off, shrugging as she waved a hand in dismissal. "As creepy as it was for somebody just poking around in my head, I realize you're legit with the Boy Wonder with you and...uh," Looking at Annie, which made her shrink a little with discomfort, she arched a brow at Ace and Robin. "Miss Plain Jane?"

"M-My name's Annie," She announced, trying to regain her calm as she placed her hand on her chest. "I'm kind of alive thanks to these two. Where they go, I go."

"An indentured servant, eh?"

"It's not like that-!"

"Hey, you don't need to tell me what you do on your spare time. I won't judge, _much_ ," Mary said with a brief all-knowing air with a haughty turn of her head. On emphasizing the last word, she snickered at Robin's plea for understanding and then held her belly as she burst into laughter. While Robin and Annie began laughing at her joke, knowing the punchline's context, only Ace stood around and looked blankly with apparent confusion. Wiping the tears away from her eyes, she looked over her shoulder and sighed at no parents being woken up. "Jeez, I almost messed up big time. Okay, so what's the deal? Why did you call me at ten till midnight?"

It didn't take long for Ace to explain the situation. The vision of an impending doom, feeling a sense of unease in her waking hours and her distrust of the adult heroes was empathized by her. Still, the fact she came directly to her could only mean one thing; she knew about her brother's alter ego, or her own.

"So, guessing how you went straight to my house of an allegedly ordinary teenager," Mary quipped, swiveling a hand for emphasis as she wryly grinned and cocked a brow a tad. "I'm pretty sure you didn't come to me cause you know I know about you-know-what?"

"I know that you're Mary Marvel, much like your twin brother, Billy Batson is Captain Marvel."

"She's wha-mph?!" Robin exclaimed, almost shouting before he felt Annie's hand quickly latch over his mouth with a look of alarm. Widened eyes closed with understanding and she let go, looking away with a blush while he cleared his throat and looked at a slightly miffed Mary. "You're THE Mary Marvel? I thought she was...and Captain Marvel is...wow. You're both magic super-people."

"Yes, though why you had to blab that is beyond stupid," Mary snorted, looking with a questioning glare at Ace who just looked ahead with a nonplussed expression. "Tell me, do you have the understanding of what subtlety is?"

"This isn't the time for dancing around an issue. I rather we, as they say, have all of our cards on the table," Ace explained in a serious tone. When she heard Robin snicker, she ignored him and continued to speak. "Mary Marvel, our mission is dire even if the threat is vague. It is coming, we just need all of the expertise we can to figure it out where and when it will strike first. Keeping secret identities between ourselves is both asinine and a waste of all our time."

"Alright-Alright," Mary sighed, raising her hands to concede with a more serious expression on her young adult face. "Count me in. It's my job description to deal with the ominous and the magical. If what your mental-jumbo is dead on the money, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Good, then if you could join us-"

"I'll only do it when it's tomorrow after school," Mary told them with a slight grimace on her face. "I have to grind a bit of homework but I think I can manage. Can you communicate long-range or should I give you my number?"

"Just think, 'I'm ready, Ace,' and I'll hear you," She replied with a nod.

"Good. Then, good luck with your...uh...hero scouting?" Mary questioned with a tilt of the head.

"That seems to be what we're doing," Annie nodded with affirmation along with Robin.

"Do you have any suggestions? People who can keep a lid on it and not immediately turn us down or try to discourage us?" Robin added with a tinge of hope in his voice.

"I know my brother would love to help, when he's not being busy around town OR with the League," Placed her hands on her hips, looking at all three. "But I may be able to dig up something when the thought crosses my mind. I'll see you later, but for now," She then inhaled, and then stared at them wide-eyed with seriousness in her hushed voice. " _Get out of my room so I can sleep, you nocturnal weirdos!_ "

* * *

"Geez, it's almost like she never stayed up late before," Robin commented, gliding through the air with Ace and beside Annie. Getting used to his gliding, he turned to look at Annie and asked with his left eye looking at her turned face. "Hey, are you doing okay? I mean, if you need rest, we can stop-"

"I don't think I need sleep," Annie intoned, her bangs hiding her eyes as she didn't look Robin in the eye. "I think my fath-...Clayface never slept. So the same applies to me."

"So, do you feel hungry right now? Thirsty?"

"I don't want to think about it," She shook her head, looking over with an assuredly forced smile for his benefit. "Let's just find some more friends to join up. I'd like that a lot more."

"Yeah," Tim acknowledged, his voice becoming quiet as their travel became a bit more solemn. He knew the brief time they shared was only in passing and in ignorance. When the truth was revealed, he didn't change his mind on who she is rather than what she was. But now that the immediate danger is passed, what did that make her and what now that define their friendship?

He hoped they could spend some quality time together when the night was over. There was a lot he wanted to talk to her about that nearly three years has happened back then. Even though she may never be like any ordinary girl, he wanted to make sure that whatever happens, they wouldn't be separated.

" _Never again_ ," He convinced himself silently as he stared into the horizon over Ace's right shoulder. " _I'll never put her through sacrificing herself for my sake again. Whatever it takes, I want to make sure she never forces a smile for me any longer_."

It didn't take them long for them to draw closer to their destination. Whether it was due to the time spent in deep thought or Ace had secretly upped her speed over the course of their travel, they appeared over a large building with bright neon letters outlined in gold with red inner lights shining through. Made out as, "Quickstart Enterprises," Robin furrowed his brows, thinking it sounded familiar.

Lowering down to the conveniently flat roof where a news chopper presided, Ace turned the other two to explain.

"The woman we're looking for here is Jesse Chambers. A young genius she's around sixteen years old and helps run her father's company, the latter of which co-opts as the chairman of the board for them. She'll help us with more monetary necessities to aid in our mission."

"I feel a 'and' coming along," Robin intoned with his arms crossed over his chest, domino mask expanding with his rising right brow. "Spill it. She a superheroine too?"

"Not that I know of," Ace answered truthfully. "Your mentor didn't have anything on a dossier that I could tell. It seems he was more impressed by her intellect and good business skills than anything resulting in hero duty. Her father is, however, one of the original speedsters along with her mother: Johnathan and Libby Chambers, also known by their identities as Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle."

"Oh right!" Tim snapped a finger, a smile on his face. "I heard about them. They were part of a group that happened before the Justice League, but retired in the late 80's. The Justice Society of America if I'm not mistaken."

"It's possible she has powers, but what we need is a way to use resources without having to rely on another League alike organization or one under the government. Her company is substantially wealthy for its advertisements, media coverage and promotions for new health related products. But what she really specializes in is science, mathematics, and studies on the meta-gene most heroes possess; hence the genius title," The blank eyed girl stated factually. "In any event, she's also an enthusiast for heroes of present and past, so she'll have a higher liklihood of hel-"

"So," A voice suddenly sounded, making all three turn towards the door, seeing a young woman in a red tee with a pair of intricately designed black wings with a jagged lightning bolt running vertical up and down the insignia. With yellow shorts, boots and gloves, her eyes were covered by a domino mask akin to Robin's. Long blonde hair drawn down to the middle of her back, she stood in front of them as if she had been there the entire time, tapping her left foot with an upraised smirk. "You rang, yet I'm fairly certain you were expecting me in another suit?"

"Uh," Robin gawked and Annie just blinked with surprise, turning her head back and forth to see where she could've come from without opening the door to the roof. Scratching the back of his head, he thumbed towards the unsurprised Ace who just blinked at the slightly older young woman. "She did the calling. We're just here for the ride and moral support, I guess?"

"Jesse Chambers, I did not know you had-"

"Superpowers? Pffft, please," She snorted, rolling her eyes as she waved her hands nonchalantly. "I cracked that formula when I was twelve. Dear old dad has been mentoring me in secret though I've done some solo hero'ing for a while. Probably nothing to put on the big news, but I do it, if only for exercise and practice sake," Finishing with a shrug, she looked at them skeptically. "So what does a trio of teenagers need with my family's company money?"

"Actually make that four. She had to sleep in for school tomorrow," Robin blurted out, receiving an incredulous look from Annie and an inquisitive stare from Ace. Looking between them, he waved his arms. "What? Did we not have this conversation of the need for no dancing around the issue?!"

Sighing, the blank-faced girl turned to address Jesse once more in as serious as she could manage under circumstnaces, "Averting a world ending crisis. The threat-"

"I'm in."

"-should probably be explained?" The psychic cocked her head to the side, almost as perplexed as the other two were at her sudden sign-up.

"What? Does 'end of the world' need explaining?" She questioned with air quotes used by her hand quotes.

"Well, it is kind of vague and a bit ominous," Robin intoned with a shrug and an awkward smile.

"All the more reason I should sign up!" She urged, a broad grin and her fist extended towards the three. "Real name aside, I go by Jesse Quick. Easy to remember, especially if you have to shout it during the middle of a crisis."

"You're a little too excited about this," Annie noted with a look of bafflement across her face.

"What? My parents have helped save the country, the city and the world multiple times back in the old days. It's time I get a leg up and do it before anyone knows what's up! Plus," She continued, suddenly her face dropping and her body hunching forward with a belated sigh. "I'm...really...really...really _bored_."

"So heroics is just a hobby to you?" Ace asked in a dry tone.

"Hey! A hero for fun is just as effective as a hero for serious, kay!" Jesse snapped, her finger pointing at the shorter girl.

"...given the reputation of the Flash, I could buy that," Tim spoke with understanding under his breath.

"So, when do we get moving? Are you all on some tour of Keystone, or am I just part of the stop you kiddies are on?" She asked with a cheeky grin. "Cause I need to stretch my legs pulling an all-nighter in the biz, I can tell you that. Much as I love playing big-wig manager and science developer, it's just way too slow for my liking. At least, not if I want to be caught, that is."

"The next member is somebody who has been an honorary member of the League and has at times formed a brief team not too different from ours with Nightwing and a few others. He's usually on the move, but he should be easy enough to find," Ace informed the three, looking to Jesse in particular. "I assume your company has access to recent sightings or news reports on anything related to one named Speedy."

"Oh, you mean Green Arrow's ward? Pffft, yeah, he's out hunting some goons around the East Coast. Let me check that!" She decided, her body suddenly disappearing in a flash of gold. In the gust of wind that lapped the rooftop, they could see the faintest of sparks run across the building and majestically enamor the vista of Keystone. A couple minutes had passed and they were about to decide on their next action till she reappeared in another flash of light, startling Robin and Annie while Ace simply blinked. Saluting them, she grinned proudly as she gestured over her shoulder. "I just checked most of the East Coast. Faster than searching the net. And guess what?"

"You found him?" Annie blinked with wide eyes.

"H-Hax!" Robin coughed into his hand.

"It seems he's taking on a gang of creeps harboring illegal migrants. Now, that's normally not a big deal, the law usually weeds out undesirables in due course." She dropped her volume, her voice ebbing with a serious edge as her arms cross her chest. "Unless said human traffickers were planning on using them as collateral for the underground slave trade, or some other misbegotten plan."

"That definitely is warranting of his attention," Ace nodded with affirmation. "I assume you left him alone?"

"He seemed to be staking the area out, and I don't like being a buzzkill for guys who aren't as fast as I am. I'll let the man work, if only I get to watch," She smirked, thumbing over her shoulder for emphasis. "Want to follow? I'm sure it'll be a blast to see what this guy is made of."

"Understood," Ace proclaimed, lifting both Robin and Annie up once more with her to take flight, while Jesse paced herself so they could follow her to the place of origin. The night was young, after all, and they still had time.

Time which Ace hoped could be spent preparing for this pseudo-prophesied evil coming for them.

* * *

It was a cool night, near the exchange point. Everybody was tense, always on the look-out. In a world full of freaks, aliens and cyborgs no one could be too careful. The thugs were numbered up to fifteen, all heavily armed and armored. Even a few had protective masks, designed in a way to put fear in the poor illiterate people they were smuggling to another organization. Whatever happened to them, it didn't matter, so long as they were paid.

At least, they would've been, if not for Roy Harper tailing them for the past week and a half. Between roughing down has-beens, paying some informants and tracking them through stealth, guile and deception he managed to find this place. It was an abandoned truck stop, a few kilometers west of Gotham's city limit and easy enough to circumnavigate to avoid watching eyes.

With the trucks haul, he counted somewhere between a hundred or so being ferreted in the truck. The most despicable thing was the fact they didn't have a disparage of age and sex; they were mostly young men and girls, with even a good number of them being children. He didn't want to consider the possibilities what got them separated from their parents, nor did he care.

Decisive action was necessary, right when the buyer would show.

And show they did, heralded by an armored tank of a transport with specialties outfitted with it to make it almost as impressive as the Batmobile. With the doors opening, a number of burly men came out with weapons only their builds could hold. The person who opened the more leisurely backseat quickly stood aside for a man of enormous stature and with armored coils feeding to what looked like a chemical tank on his back, leading to his head and siphoned from his right arm. The unforgettable skull-like mask, black shirt that stretched over such a pronounced musculature and custom-made pants with army boots made him realize who this buyer was.

"Bane," He sneered.

"I trust that all went well, gringos?" The established hit man and mob boss of equal infamy inquired with a slight glare aimed at them.

"Yes, we got all of the cargo like you needed," The leader of the traffickers, a slightly shorter but intimidating in his own way. Armed with a grenade launcher in his hand that he held casually over one shoulder, he held out the other hand expectantly. "You may count your chickens if you wish, but I propose I see the authenticity of the payment?"

"Of course. I am a man of my word," Bane nodded, snapping his finger to one of his men who delivered a large briefcase. Grasping it between his two fingers, he presented it with an opening fashion that allowed the trafficker and his men to see glowing contents. To their satisfaction, it was all there; two dozen vials of purified Venom, with its own injection gun to boot. "I trust that everything appears to be in order?"

"It is," The trafficker nodded with a leering grin. Just as he was about to grab it, a sudden whistling sound could be heard. Only the bigger of the two could see the arrow right as it hit the opened case in one of the canisters. Startled, he found himself awash as a flash-bang was released from the modified tip, spraying him with the drug that burned his eyes and his nostrils through his mask.

He screamed, and Bane snarled at his ruined purchase. Looking over his shoulder he saw a bright red flare rise up into the sky, painting all of the standing shoulders in an overcast of crimson. Amidst the blaring light, several more guards were incapacitated from unseen projectiles, pinning them either to the vehicle or straight-up shocking them with contact.

"The Arrow will pay for this!" Bane snarled, retrieving a large hand cannon to aim at something.

Hearing cries of the men from within the lot, he turned to see the initial attack was a diversion. The truck full of adolescents and children was suddenly assaulted by the outline of somebody in red and black. Using quick acrobatics to vault around them while firing arrows like someone out of a fairy tale of old folklore, Roy Harper twisted about and landed on the last of the guards he had taken off guard while landing on a crouch.

"Hey big guy," He chuckled, noticing the ire of Bane had been incurred as he notched another arrow from his quiver to his bowstring. Drawing it back to his ear, he saw him stomp once and then leap with surprising fury. "You're fast, I'll give you that."

"I'LL KILL YOU!" He roared out, his frame getting hit by the arrow but still kept a rapid sprint. The cold vapors followed by rapidly freezing agent took hold over his muscles. Artificial ice spread over him, burning his skin to the touch, while encroaching up his neck and his hands, covering his boots down to the toes. Despite the overwhelming numbness encroaching him, he growled and focused, the adrenaline burning through as his muscular being snapped apart his confines, releasing a hail of icicles all about him. "You'll have to do better than that, niño!"

"That's fine," Roy quipped, nimbly dodging a wide swipe, a powerful kick and knife-hand slash each barely missing him due to only his training and reflexes. Landing a short distance away, he gestured towards Bane, letting him see a trio of what looked like magnets that stuck onto him. Notching the next arrow from his quiver, he saw him look at him questionably which he cared to answer. "What happens to a person when they become a magnet to a metal tipped arrow?"

Letting loose, a sudden acceleration transpired from the naked eye. Tendrils of the electromagnetic spectrum lanced out, coming into contact with Bane's stick-on magnets. The result bolstered the velocity, homing in and crashing with concussive blunt trauma straight into his torso.

Coughing up flecks of spit and blood, Bane was sent skidding backwards, but remained standing. Laughing, he wiped his mouth and glared with beady red eyes from behind his black mask, "Impressive, niño. You know how to hit hard. But," Touching the dial on his right wrist, he began to bulk up and oddly contort as the Venom pumped in higher dose to make him larger and stronger than before. "I can always hit. Much. **Harder**!"

"Bring it, you sack of garbage!" Roy barked back, threading an additional three arrows, just as he saw Bane move. It was a titanic wall of muscle blurring forth, even faster than he was before, if possible. With only instinct to propel his body, he reflexively ducked and spun on his right heel, his shoulder only scraped by the man's assault on his person. Turning around, his face along with the rest of his head was grasped and lifted in the air.

"How are you liking your chances now, little arche-"

Letting loose his taut string, he let the magnets do the rest as they struck Bane's groin and two kneecaps. Despite his bulk, the acceleration of the trauma had put him through a drastic amount of pain. Rearing back guttural sounds of agony and rage, he looked down too late. With the archer tossing aside his bow, crimson tendrils spewed from Roy's right arm, the more armored of the two to reveal something of a synthetic augmentation was made into the gauntlet and metal itself.

"Here's MY hard hit!" He shouted, gut punching Bane and fully twisting his fist to unleash a potent shockwave against the superhuman brute. The force tore the shirt from the man, his network of chords broken and his link to the Venom ripped away. Even as he began to un-hulk, Roy pulled his hand from the swollen bruise he left behind and turned away, just as Bane's white-out eyes looked upon the concrete his face crashed into.

In just a few minutes, Roy had bested them all.

Realizing he had a sense something wasn't right, Roy toe-flipped the bow up back into his grasp and placed another arrow in the string and pulled it towards the shadows not far away from his vicinity. He knew he heard breathing, if not something akin to voices. He hadn't been fighting this long to know when he was being watched.

"Okay, we're coming out! Don't shoot!" Robin exclaimed, his hands in the air as he moved around one of the truck stop's posts. Followed by him was the meek Annie, the deadpanned Ace and an annoyed Jesse.

One that turned and immediately raised her hand towards Robin as Roy just stared at them with confusion.

"Hey! Why did you ruin our dynamic reveal?!" She shouted.

"I saw what he did to those guys. I'd rather not be hit by his arrows, thank you," Tim retorted with his hands remaining upright.

"Put your hands down, you're so not cool at the moment," Jesse huffed, flashing away to be in front of an aghast archer. "But you! Man did I love watching you work. I combed all over till I saw you and wow, I must say I like the new get-up! What aboutthearm?WheredidyougetthatandthewayyoubeatupBanewassocool-!"

"Stop! Stop talking like that! Also, does personal space mean nothing to you?!" Roy exclaimed, finally getting the speedster's attention, much to her sheepish chagrin. Backing away, she joined the others as he got acclimated. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face as he compacted his bow and holstered it over one shoulder, placing the arrow back in its quiver. With his hands on his hips, he narrowed his eyes at them, getting a good look at each one. "I'm guessing you didn't just come here admiring my work. I'm solo for a reason, so if there's something you need, make it quick. I gotta get those kids out of the truck and someplace safe."

"We can help with that," Ace proffered, her eyes staring straight at his domino-masked eyes. "For a price."

"Then you better keep waiting, cause I'll do this myself," He replied with a dismissive wave, already leaving them as he walked towards the truck. "Hasn't stopped me so far."

"C'mon! We could use someone as skilled as you!" Robin insisted with a boisterous raise of his fist. "There's something important we have to do, and we can't do it alone."

"I'm sure you could manage. You don't seem like entire scrubs. Besides, what part of me working alone do you not get?" Roy harshly rejected, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.

"The world is in danger! People will die!" Annie insisted with urgency in her voice.

Stopping for a second, he looked over at her and then the others with an unimpressed expression on his face, "And? Isn't that what the Justice League is for?"

"You were with the League, once. What happened to you, Speedy?" Robin asked, only to find that was a sore spot.

"Don't call me that!" He snarled, looking a bit menacing at Tim and the others. His right arm twitched, an ache surrounding his arm that he clung to with a grimace of anger. Closing his eyes, he exhaled and he calmed himself after a few seconds. Looking back at them, he spoke as plain as he could. "I'm Arsenal now. You obviously came for the wrong man."

"Batman trusted you," Ace intoned, making the archer narrow his eyes with suspicion. The nigh emotionless girl continued to speak now she had his attention. "The night I met the Dark Knight, I was met with a will so strong that he wasn't driven into madness like everybody else I unleashed my psychic cry to. In that haze, I connected and I saw you, among others in his memories. Fragments, like sill pictures with bits of information scattered about. Among those in the League he trusted you to get the job done and watch his back. That is why I decided to bring them with me to help convince you that your abilities are required; essential to saving this world from total annihilation."

"How do you know for certain? What proof can you give me that the League or anyone else on this world or out there can't stop what you preach is gospel?" Roy asked with an outstretched hand, clenching it with hardened emphasis.

"I'm a psychic, I can unravel the tapestries of one's mind and sift through it like it's words and pictures in a book. I can drive people mad by simply tearing out pages or rearranging words and pictures in different orders, even adding new information that doesn't belong to make them perceive something else entirely. Altering the environment with my mind and reading thoughts is what I do, but this future I see in my dreams and feel in my every waking moment," Ace breathed, her eyes dilating and her breath becoming strained. Sweat appeared across her pale face and her black lips spread to reveal her clattering teeth as her hands wrapped around her head. Even now, she could imagine the thousands of piles, burning with recognizable faces; one of which had the faces of her friends among the charred, broken bodies hidden by ghastly flames. "This terrifies me! A terror that I know is coming, and worried that I cannot beat this alone. Yet doing nothing makes me feel worse than allowing others to thwart an unknown. I cannot allow Batman, the Justice League or anyone else to do this.

"No, it has to be us. We have to stop this, or else the world will fall to ruin and the Earth will become a field of ash with thousands of piles of its populace burning in funeral pyres. Among the dead, I saw not only the League...but yours, Roy Harper," She looked up, still shaking while everyone looked aghast at the new information being revealed. "You, the League. I could make out everyone's features as clearly as if painted in front of my eyes. Do you understand?! Whoever did this will destroy all life and make this world a barren wasteland! One that I, in the small chance I live, will wander alone and see all of the people that could've lived if I had done the right thing and not been alone!"

It was a damning silence that followed that declaration. If there was ever time for a second thought, it was now. Before it was simply a notion of a vague threat, and that it could destroy everything they new. Now? She confirmed seeing the faces of the Justice League among the dead, while she remained alone and alive. The loneliness among the dead terrified her, and her quest seemed much clearer now.

"I was expecting a sob story, not something straight from a Lovecraftian horror," Roy quipped, his stern and usually serious tone exchanged for a slightly drier one. Seeing her stop shaking, she looked up with wide curious eyes of trepidation and hope. Groaning, he palmed his face with his right arm and mumbled to himself, "Gonna regret this," before finally looking confidently at Ace and her alone. "Alright. You help me get these people to safety, and we'll talk tomorrow. I want a clear head after some rest from this endeavor of mine. Been awhile since I got my eight anyways, so that should help."

"Fantastic!" Jesse air pumped, going around to high five the almost as enthusiastic members of the team, jumping about and grinning ecstatically. "This is badass! We got ourselves a bona fide archer! No we just need magician and we'll be a complete set of awesome!"

"Isn't Mary technically magic?" Robin inquired with a raised brow.

"I think saying a magic word doesn't qualify to be a mage. Or a wizard. Or a sorcerer. Or-"

"I get it, she can't cast spells. Though it's freakin' epic that she can bench press a planet!" Tim giddily imagined Mary holding the world over her head.

"Can she? I think you're imagining something impossible there," Jesse countered.

"Hey, I think she can do whatever she puts her mind to!"

"Ohhhhh! Are you crushing on our resident heavy lifter?" The speedster winked with a cheeky grin. "How daring of you, even when you have such a pretty girlfriend."

"Hey! That's not fair," Tim exclaimed, deflating a little as he turned with embarrassment to look at Annie as she just blinked in confusion. "It's not that like-like her, or anything. I just think she's a cool superhero that can tangle with Superman or Captain Marvel or whatever! It's got nothing to do with our friendship!"

"Why would it? You just met her tonight," Annie stated nonchalantly.

"Oh. Right," Robin twitched, turning to look at Jesse who was already bouncing around an annoyed Roy as they began to unload the children from the truck. "That girl, I swear."

"She just likes to press buttons. I don't mind. I think she brings a little light around our gloomy mission," Annie proclaimed with a happier, sincere smile that caught her friend's eye; one he readily returned.

"I'm...hopeful," Ace whispered, catching the pair's attention as she regained her stoic composure. Looking down at her hand, she turned it into a fist and looked up at the two with her usual blank stare. "But it's too soon to be sure of anything. Once we finish our part helping here, we will meet again tomorrow, after Mary and Roy are freed up. Then, we will talk and see what comes next."

"Right," Robin, furrowing his brow as he became lost in thought. "Hey, do we have a name for what this team of ours is?"

"About that," Ace turned, looking at the children being helped down from the truck, one of them hugging Roy exuberantly while crying into his waist. As he looked compassionately upon them, talking to them and helping them gather together, she finished speaking. "Roy was part of a team, like I said before, that the now Nightwing was a part of. They split apart, but I don't see a harm in taking their name."

"What's that?" Annie asked curiously, with Robin looking equally enthralled.

She smiled, turning towards them with her hands on her hips, "The Teen Titans."

* * *

 **A.N** : Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, that's a wrap!

Really enjoyed writing this chapter. Got a lot of chance to develop them as they were introduced or set things in motion with every person joining the ranks. Given not a lot happened in the previous chapter, I dedicated this action highlight to Roy and his brief yet awesome tussle with Bane and a bunch of armed goons. Those of you worried, no, he'll not ditch his boy and become all Frank Miller gritty gruesome; he's much more akin to the Young Justice equivalent than the comics, I assure you.

And with the team (mostly) assembled, we have ourselves quite an array of powerhouses. The adept and adaptable Robin who is team leader. The wise and blunt Ace. The kind and down to earth Annie. The wise cracking yet lovable Jesse Quick. The snarky yet laid back Mary Marvel. Along with the grim realist who is Roy Harper, a man of too many names for me to care to list.

Will there be more members in the future? What is this threat that wipes out the League? With a threat becoming more and more fearsome with every gleaming hint of revelation, our heroes are in for a long hard fight. Find out what happens next in the next chapter of The Mighty Teen Titans!


	3. Collateral Mishap

_Last time on the Mighty Teen Titans!_

 _Having recruited several more members into their designated team, now decidedly named the Teen Titans, Ace part ways with the assembled to reconvene the next day. With Arsenal -formerly known as Speedy- agreed to join along with Jesse Quick and Mary Marvel the six agree to plan out their next move once regrouped. With more and more details added to the nightmares Ace is envisioning, the future becomes grimmer with every passing hour._

 _Hope is the only thing that keeps the growing team moving forward to solve the mystery of this threat. What will they find? Who is responsible? Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Collateral Mishap**

* * *

Tim knew it was a risky maneuver to take Annie back to the mansion. The last time, as they both knew, Batman arrived too late to save her. With her return it may raise too many questions and possible restrain the pair so they can't meet again with the psychic girl the following day. He knew he needed rest, but he didn't count on leaving his revived friend alone; not when she was still reeling from the back from the dead experience she had.

Getting through the front door, he was thankful that Alfred was retired for the evening. Either that or he was tending to things in the Batcave. Their entrance was soft and quiet, enabling the two to rush up the many stairs to his spacious quarters where he just instructed Annie to make herself comfortable. As he took a shower, brushed his teeth and put on some pajamas he found that Annie was lying on the bed while looking straight up at the ceiling.

Going into his bottomless closet, he retrieved a sleeping bag and told Annie that he'd be fine sleeping on the floor while she enjoyed a comfy quilt and mattress for once. It didn't take long for him to close his eyes and drift asleep, briefly having a blissful sleep of him and Annie holding hands while going to school. It was innocent enough, till he saw what looked like enormous shadows rise from the school and spew flames among the class; among them being people he recognized from the other night.

Among the searing heat and smothering flames he was separated from Annie, buried under tonnage of charred corpses while he heard screams echo the night and the ground reduced to ash in the waking nightmare.

Waking up with a start, he felt himself weighed down by something. Among his cold sweat he turned to see Annie had snuggled up against him against his sleeping bag, her head near his own. Feeling himself blush at the closet proximity to the girl, he mustered up the nerve to poke her head with inquiry.

"Mmmmmf," She moaned, opening her eyes groggily. "Robin?"

"Hey, sleepyhead," Tim commented, feeling more relaxed now despite his earlier surprise. "Wasn't it comfy on the bed?"

"I couldn't sleep so I felt safer next to you," She admitted, looking away a bit out of shyness. Despite the warm flush on her face, she looked back at him and reached out to touch his face, making him gasp. Brushing his cheek, she smiled fondly at him. "Behind that mask, you have such wonderful eyes."

"Uh, thanks," He nervously accepted her compliment. "Your eyes are pretty too."

They both heard a clearing of the throat, interrupting the moment of intimacy. Robin immediately rolled away while Annie froze in place. Hopping upright with his sleeping bag falling loose from his pajamma clad person they both saw someone they didn't expect.

Which ultimately made the person who caught them almost bust out laughing.

"W-Wow! The look on your faces-hehehehehehe!" Jesse Quick sputtered in her hands while rapidly beating her right foot against the floor.

"Dude! Not cool!" Robin retorted back, stomping up to the speedster with an angry glare fixated at the older girl. "Is home invasion your hobby too?! And why are you even here?!"

"Please, keep it down," Ace, the second individual who appeared from the door in a nonchalant manner with arms crossed. "I've mentally blocked out our presence here, but I rather not lose focus. This is the last place I want us to be found by accident."

"Besides," Jesse brushed her bangs aside, thumbing to the clock. "You've overslept. It's almost two in the afternoon."

With widened eyes, Tim turned to leap over the bed and scramble to the nightstand next to it. Sure enough, in red letters it was One Fifty Nine O'clock in the Afternoon. Knowing that Mary may get out in the next hour or so made him realize how underprepared he was. Growling, he turned and began grabbing his discarded effects as he sprinted into the bathroom, slamming it behind him.

"Yeesh, guess he's not a morning person," The Speedster pouted her lips and blew a raspberry with impatience. "You'd think a guy would be adjusted to waking up on time, but no, he's gotta take his sweet day to be prepared."

"It was pretty late by the time we got back here," Annie protested, sticking up for him despite her aversion from looking straight into her eyes. "It's not his fault, he insisted I didn't sleep by myself out there."

"That's sweet! You two kids must be head over heels in love, right?!" Jesse teased with a snicker. Seeing the girl blush hotly made her laugh all the more fiercely. "Ohohoho, I was right! So tell me, have you two done the deed?"

"Done the...what?" The bowl-cut haired girl tilted her head, embarassment switched out with stark confusion. "Deed?"

Snorting, Jesse shook her head and shrugged with a sigh, "I'll take that as a no. Typical. Bet it'll take five years before you even have 'the talk'."

"What are you even talking about? What talk?"

"Exactly my point," She replied back in a deadpanned expression.

"I too have no real knowledge of what you speak," Ace interceded with her usual blank stare that made the speedster groan.

"I bet ROBIN knows! Hey, Rob!" She cried out.

"What do you want?!" He barked back.

"Do you know what 'the deed' and 'the talk' are, right?!"

A brief silence followed by a loud shout, "Chew glass, Jesse!"

"I'll take that as a _yes_ ," Jesse smugly whispered to herself while adorning a smug grin.

Ace sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She just hoped to just pick the two up and head on out to signal Arsenal and Mary when they arrived at their meet-up location. Instead it was an annoying conversation she had no context to understand its meaning and wake up the two from their groggy woken selves.

Today was going to be one of those days, she assumed.

* * *

After Robin had tidied himself up, the pair were given another levitated ride towards their way point. Jesse just paced herself to follow from the ground without outrunning them, and Ace telepathically communicated to the other two for the appointment. After a short time of travel, they reached their destination.

"Ugh," Robin replied, stumbling about with Annie bracing him upright as he clenched his head. "I think you went a bit too fast back there. Humans aren't meant to be throttled faster than the Batmobile."

"We're here now, that's all that matters," Ace remarked unapologetically. The spot they chose was near the front of a courthouse with white pillars matching the white outlined red brick building face. With a cyan top and a weather vane that scarcely moved in a relatively clear Sunny sky. All was quiet in Georgetown, Maryland and the few people who walked by the complex of justice didn't even look at them. "We can meet here without alarming anybody. So long as I've made a prominent mind link with any of you, there's no reason for any meeting in public to be noticed unless we physically interact with them; that or cause a big enough commotion to shake them out of the periphery block I've put them in."

"A bit of a bummer I won't get any media buzz being all covert and like, but I'll play along," Jesse replied with a ho-hum shrug.

"When did you say Spee-sorry, Arsenal said he'd be here?" Robin asked curiously.

"How about right now?" A voice asked right behind him, making the young hero jump. Looking around in a spin Roy, now wearing a black ball cap with golden trim and a biker jacket of similar decor. Underneath one could assume he was keeping his assortment of weaponry but out of sight. With his hands in his pockets, he arched one domino mask covered eye with impatience. "So? Who are we waiting on?"

"Mary Marvel. She should be getting out of school shortly," The psychic intoned informally.

"When she gets here, what's the plan?" The archer cocked his head back curiously. "How do we save the world?"

"Pooling our intelligence, resources and experience we begin looking for anything out of the norm. Villains usually operate out of self interest, business or emotion. What I witnessed was the construct of a grand plan or unfeeling genocide. If we find the source then we can determine where to start looking," Ace explained, using very little emotion or gestures to convey other than her words.

"You make it sound easy, but the threat can be anything based on what you describe," Roy countered, his hands unpocketed and now crossing over his chest as he leaned to one side. "A cosmic threat from another world, an ancient sealed evil via magic or a pocket dimension, things like that. No offense to the people you selected, but how are we going to find this proverbial needle in a haystack when only you have been having the freakish nightmare?"

"Actually," Robin added, his eyes looking between Ace and Arsenal nervously. "I...kind of had a dream like that the other night."

"Really?" Roy inquired, a hint of disbelief marring his surprise, echoed by the incredulous stare shared by Ace and Jesse. Annie just looked worried, wondering if something terrible had happened in it. Given by the slight paling effect on the Boy Wonder's face, it was clear that this was no dream one would wish to have.

"It started out normal, and then it just...fell apart," He began, his body getting goosebumps as he remembered the phantoms with frightening clarity. "Giant shadows just appeared in front of us-er-me. They looked almost like monsters out of a Godzilla film, or Jurassic Park I guess. But when they breathed out this black fire, everything became a blinding wave of pain. Before I knew it I was still alive, wedged between other bodies as charred as my own in a burnt pile. I thought I saw something pass by and then, I woke up."

"That's disturbing," Jesse commented, feeling the eerie vibe from this was the same if not similar to Ace's own confession to Arsenal.

"Giant Shadows? Black Flames?" Ace murmured aloud, cupping her chin as she pondered intensely. "I did notice how the light surrounding me was almost greyscale. Perhaps that was due to the dark colored fire coming from the bodies."

"Black fire isn't exactly a standard MO," Arsenal pointed out, his demeanor changing with this new validated information. "Fire users or even fire from explosions are a norm, but black flames is usually something of either great magnitude or special qualities. This has to be either a doomsday device or of magic origin. It can't be naturally man-made unless under very particular circumstances."

"And even if those circumstances are met, that doesn't explain why all of the, uh, bodies are set aflame in that way," Robin put the pieces together, declaring it out loud while exchanging looks from the others thinking about how this nightmare fit into Ace's own. "Given how it's theoretically the hottest stage of a dying star, there's no way a real black flame wouldn't have turned decomposed bodies into ash gradually. A field of ash makes sense, but the bodies? No this, also based on my ability to still 'live' through a horrific ordeal means they are kept barely alive so they can feel it, like torture. This has to be magic, there's no other logical explanation than that."

"So, our enemy is magic? I'm not exactly keen on that idea," Jesse admitted aloud with a frown, huffing with her hands on her hips. "I'm great against science, but magic? Not my forte."

"Hopefully when Marvel arrives, we can get some of that Divine Insight to point us in the right direction," The archer sighed, looking around with a slight twitch under one eye. "Just wish we didn't have to wait till she talked to every prissy friend of hers from her school."

"She'll be here soon," Annie tried to assure the older man, only serving to make him growl and pace.

"For a guy who tracked and staked out a hand-off, you're surprisingly impatient," Robin noted with a smirk.

"I can control the time of engagement. What I can't control is the tardiness of children," He snarled back, turning with a glare pointed at Ace. "Can't you tell her to hurry up."

"I could," She said.

"And?"

"Already told her on our way here. She said she'd try not to be delayed but she can't skimp on her 'scholastic duties', as she put it," Ace stressed out, not looking perturbed but only entertaining her teammate's current irritation.

"And she can't miss school for one day because?"

"You'll have to ask her that."

"I guess I will," Arsenal snorted, turning on his heel and walking off towards a shady spot in front of the courthouse. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to light one up and wait for Miss Tardy."

With his departure, Annie couldn't help but a sense of unease being around the man. It wasn't that he didn't do his job, but the reality he seemed to look down at them. She didn't know if this was just her feelings clouding her judgement, but the way she saw him get angry easily at one of them being absent felt like he had higher expectations that couldn't be met and judged them by those standards.

As he smoked under a tree, they looked up at the sky and around the lawn for a minute. Then a few more minutes. Time seemed to tick by at an irritating fashion, and soon it became clearer that she was going to tarry. During their idle state, Robin couldn't help but overhear something happening not far away.

"Are those," Annie verbally acknowledged what Robin was thinking. "Explosions?"

At hearing this, Ace's eyes widened and looked over to Arsenal, telepathically informing him. Flicking away his cigarette, he undid his jacket to reveal his standard red over black protective uniform with his quiver and bow strapped back. Tying the jacket sleeves around his waist, he took off in a run with Robin and Annie while Ace flew with her own psychic force towards the origin of the commotion.

" **Ace? Can you tell what's going on from here?** " Robin asked mentally, seeing the clouds of smoke rise up from several buildings that were caught in sequential detonations.

" **I sense a triad of voices. Two are muffled from turmoil while the other is assured of a victory over what he assumes is a** _ **Black Demon**_ ," She intoned with a hint of skepticism that kept her from being alarmed. " **There isn't any black flames so we can make a careful assumption that this isn't related to our current threat**."

" **Whoever they are, they still need to be stopped** ," Roy answered back, breaking out into a full-on sprint towards the location of the fighting.

Upon getting close, another explosion occurred, one that sent a blistering shockwave in their general direction. Ace did her best to disperse it, a yellow tint entering the atmosphere to form bubbles of psychic energy around each member of the team. When the last of the force was wafted over them, they'd see two individuals not far away.

One was in a blue over black themed suit, appearing to be in part biological integrated seamlessly with technology. The aforementioned blue part had claw-like appendages wrapping around the more black part of his torso down to his waist, with a clawed exterior pack protruding next to his head from behind. He was in a crouched posture, his arms raised in an 'x' stance which formed what looked like a metallic shield that emitted bio-energy.

The very vicinity around his form was charred black and almost completely reduced to dust, indicating he just saved himself from atomization.

"You're a tough demon-child, I'll give you that much," A cocky voice came from the smoke, an individual of muscular build with it being exemplified by a pure white shirt that hugged his physique. A red sash wrapped around his waist with a pair of grey slacks with black shoes, complementing the black gloves and red visor covering his emerald eyes. The brunette smirked, and adjusted his spectacles with confidence as an enormous figure appeared from behind him; hulking and bipedal with smoldering red eyes and the curled horns with a feral protruding snout and teeth from its face with furred legs that possessed hooves that left indentations of ash in his wake. "But against Ifrit, you're going to be toast in the next few seconds."

"I'm not a demon, cabrón!" The blue armored man cried out indignantly.

"You're right. You're nothing more than an errand boy for the creature inhabiting your body," The red-shaded man stated with a glare, his smile becoming frightening as Ifrit's body lit up with veins glowing orange. Forming a sphere of flames above its head, the environment began to cook and metal warped by mere proximity of the infrastructure next to them. Pointing his finger at him, he shouted with righteous fury. "I'll destroy you and end the nightmare before it becomes reality!"

"Stop!" The 'possessed' entity raised his hands, now transforming into a large cylindrical barrel that primed with a loud whine. "I don't want to do this!"

In a matter of seconds, the team reacted without communication.

Ace used her psychic abilities to redirect the plasma coming from the young man's cannon to arc upwards with the fireball Ifrit had launched. They'd explode high enough that it'd rain down insignificant sparks, pelleting the environment with far least heat than before. While this happened, the others moved in to restrain them.

A trio of arrows struck the eyes and mouth of the spirit, letting loose a visible arching field of electrocution that made the beast howl. With the creature dealt with, Arsenal turned to see Robin hurtling a bola-bola to wrap from the ankles up the blue armored individual. Both seemed to have been dealt with, leaving him open to draw another arrow to point at the red visor man.

"I suggest you keep your hands up where I can see them," Roy threatened with an even snarl, eyes glaring at the smirking man. "And wipe that smug smile off your face, scumbag!"

"I see that the protoge of the Green Arrow has a temper. Sorry that I did something to earn your ire, along with the Boy Wonder and your friends. But," He bowed, waving to Ifrit as it shook its head and howled with fury. "Kid Eternity doesn't surrender. Not when the fate of the world is on the line."

Despite being bound, the young man found the strength to tear free of his bindings as if it was string. Regardless of the voice in his head harshly advising him, he seemed to retract the living armor off his body, revealing a young Latino boy with black hair, dark eyes wearing a grey hoodie with cargo pants and tennis shoes. HIs hands raised and he began to rapidly speak in a panic.

"G-Guys, please, don't fight me!" He began, pointing to himself with insistence. "I'm not a diablo -a demon- like he said! My name is Jaime Reyes! I'm just a guy, stuck with a scarab to my back, kinda like that Leaguer who's kinda my mentor. You know the Blue Beetle?!"

"Never heard of him," Eternity scoffed, raising his hand, the beast heaving back with preparation. "And my vision was clear. You are a demon who will bring ruin to this world. I will purge the threat before it becomes truth absolute. My only regret is that it found a host that I cannot save. Forgive me for that-!"

Arsenal attempted to fire a Stun Arrow, only to see Ifrit knock it aside with ease. With a roar it bellowed a molten flame that was hurled towards them. Feeling himself encased in a psychic field the same as Robin, the only person who wasn't protected was Jaime; who wasn't arming himself in time.

"NO!" Annie cried out, leaping out from cover of her friends to place herself between the unholy fire that aimed to incinerate the Blue Beetle's ward. Despite how hot it was, she did not feel pain. In fact her instinct had changed her outer body into a hardened shell of white color with orange outlines, absorbing the heat that flowed into her core. Blinking her dark eyes, she gaped at the mesmerizing transformation that had occurred, aghast that the trail of earth was ash but she was largely unaffected.

"Annie?" Robin asked, one second terrified for her and the next dumbfounded at her new appearance. "Are you, alright?"

"I am," She nodded softly, turning to look at the petrified Jaime. "And you?"

"I am a little singed but okay. Thank you," He sincerely thanked with a smile, one Annie returned with her own.

"That was reckless of you. Ifrit's flames can reduce almost any enemy into ash the first contact it has. No matter," Kid Eternity shook his head, placing his hands on his hips as Ifrit's body was consumed in a wellspring of flames. "I'll just have to accept this town will be part of the collateral. After all, the world is far more important than a simple populace."

Before an objection could be raised, a sudden thunderclap sounded from the heavens. In what was a beautiful blue sky suddenly became a cloudy one, obscuring the Sun and thrashing a streak of luminous energy right atop the horned beast. It was flattened against the earth, unable to rise as a figure emerged from the crackling electricity and revealed herself to all in gorgeous splendor.

"Sorry I'm late," Mary Marvel, now appearing in a golden trimmed white uniform complete with a yellow roped cape, a thigh length skirt and a yellow lightning bolt insignia over her chest. With white gloves and boots, she brushed her long brunette hair aside as she easily kept her soles over the beast that writhed under her. "Got into a petty squabble at school and held me up longer than I'd like. Then, I had to find a discreet place to transform and, well, here I am."

"Way to wait until the last second," Roy grumbled with a roll of his eyes, lowering his bow with unheard relief. Scratching his head, he cocked his neck to the side and took in her appearance. "You're...older than I thought you'd be."

"Perks of a wizard endowing you with maturity along with a slew of godly blessed powers," She remarked with a grin and a wink. As soon as she had made the comment, she heard a loud cough that signaled to a young man with red visors. Arching her neck, she looked at him from over her shoulder and crossed her arms under her breasts. "And you are?"

"I cannot believe you haven't heard of me, beautiful enchantress!"

"I could," Jesse snorted from under her breath.

"I am Kid Eternity, a Spirit Summoner that can call upon any entity from the astral plane!" He boisterously struck a fist against his chest that he puffed out dramatically. Such luster was temporary as the body below Mary's feet became smoke and whisked away from view. Sighing, he bowed his head with shame. "Alas, for only a little over a minute can I make them do my bidding. Any longer or more than one, than I shall burn out, much like the earth around you."

"Neat-o," She replied dryly, looking to the others as she noticed that not so distant panic ensuing around their vicinity. "Listen, I'm sure you guys would love to duke it out, but this little fight between you all has garnered some unwanted attention. Mind wanting to move to a place more discreet?"

"I'm not going anywhere with that cabrón!" Jaime insisted with an angry jab towards Eternity. "He's loco and stupido! What makes you think he won't try and murder you all?!"

"Because none of them are the demons from my prophetic dream," Kid replied nonchalantly, as if it was obvious.

"Wait a minute," Robin finally chimed in, walking forward to look at the summoner with an incredulous stare. "You mean, you saw something in your nightmare?"

"What about prophecy do you not understand?" Eternity asked with annoyance. "Yes, I saw enormous shadows that breathed black flames on myself and all that I know. Why?"

"Because we've seen things of similar occurrence," Ace declared, approaching Kid with a measured stride before halting a few meters away. "We could use your help. If you have any insight or ability to lend us your aid, we'd be grateful."

"If our enemy is a common one, I won't turn down a request," Kid Eternity intoned with a serious expression, bowing his head to Jaime with a dramatic edge to his voice that seemed passive. "Forgive me, young man, for you bore an immense resemblance to my new sworn enemy. For that transgression I apologize."

"Ah, I guess no one got hurt so...whatever?" The Blue Beetle answered with a questioning tone.

"Great. We kissed and made up," Robin rolled his eyes and took point, ignoring the snickers he got from Jesse. "I know of a place we can go next to talk this out. Gather close before we separate to meet up."

* * *

Failure was a natural part of life, many would say. In order to become better one must learn to accept mistakes with grace and strive to never repeat them. It is a fact of life that no one is perfect. Regardless of the sickening mantra that all mankind has the potential to be good, they have all the equal potential to completely to suck. This was truth for the world that lived ordinarily, be they visitors from another world or born on this planet.

But it wasn't the same for Galatea, the lab created clone of Kara In-Ze. She was meant to be unstoppable, perfect and the ultimate weapon of Cadmus. But now, she was an asset that was hidden away after her last rebellious action when fighting the League in the Watchtower; now she waited and trained.

It was all she could do now.

Waking up after another period of time she was put out of action due to legal issues, constrained superiors and a brief bout of soaking solar energy she put herself to work. Walking out of her quarters in an undisclosed bunker through pristine halls that were heavily monitored, she entered the training room.

"Training Simulation 37, Endgame," She told the room, watching as a swirl of speeding light amassed the scenario she yearned for. In a dimly lit street, she saw a number of randomized individuals walk across the sidewalk of a street. Counting down the seconds, she'd watch them all stop, react and turn in a panic as explosions amidst a hail of plasma streaked after them.

Monsters of gnarled flesh exposed at the necks and gaping jawlines flew or rushed after the faux civilians. In green plated armor with golden outlines with stubby wings, the creatures turned to see a sudden blur of white bowl through their ranks. Had they been real, blood and ichor would fly about instead of sparks, fluid and circuits. As they responded with a series of shrieks to fire upon her, she easily evaded with a twirling dance in the air.

Kicks took off heads, fists smashed through torsos and a wave of heat vision annihilated another assembled line of enemies. She even inhaled deeply to let loose a freezing hurricane of wind to push back them along with a majority of the infrastructure around them. Left with an arctic debris field, she grinned with satisfaction and clenched her fists with eagerness.

"C'mon! I've seen this before! Give me something new to tear into!" She cried out to the room.

A sudden shadow loomed behind her, giving her the chills. Due to half of these things being composed of Hard Light and the rest as synthetics, it was sometimes hard to rely on her senses when these things came into the arena. Turning around, all she saw was a dark gloved fist hitting her square in the chest and winding her. The force billowed the city block, shattering glass and cratering concrete with asphalt.

Stopping a quarter of a kilometer away through sheer force of will, she clenched her exposed cleavage with a grimace. That snarl became a feral grin as her eyes burned a pupiless red, bloody vapor ebbing from the corners of her eyes. Not far away was the projected image of Darkseid, the Apokoliptian Overlord who invaded Earth not so many months ago; a fight she was forced to miss.

With the silent imitation of the dark one's eyes lit up, an incoming zig-zag of homing Omega Beams went straight for her. Waiting till the last second, she unleashed her own ocular discharge, the two clashing and flaring out in a super-heated blast that scorched their environment. Soaring past the cloud of smoke, she tackled into the proxy Darkseid and began wailing on it with a relentless series of punches.

"You know why Superman lost to you?!" She shouted out loud, her gloved fists crashing without mercy against the larger being's chest. "Why Supergirl could never beat you?! I'll tell you!"

Avoiding a counter hammer fist, a right hook and another jagged beam sent from it, she spun around to land a kick to the face followed with a jackhammer of sole crushing impacts to his neck. Flipping over it, she unleashed a scorching wave of red light that set the copy on fire from behind. With a near maniacal grin she punched hard enough to bow the demi-god proxy forward with her attack.

"Because, _genius_! They weren't **me**!" She shouted aloud. But in her daze of blood lust, she failed to notice a zig-zagging Omega Beam that lanced about and struck her backside. Letting out a shriek of pain as her whole body spasm, she was left open for a mighty back hand crashed against her jaw, sending her pinwheeling head first away. Spitting out a tooth, she was stopped short with her feet grabbed by the New God, twisting around to smash into the floor with a room shuddering impact that made her see stars.

" **You're right about one thing, little clone** ," Darkseid spoke in a menacing tone, raising her up with eyes aflame and a disappointed curl of his lips on his cracked, wrinkled face. " **They were certainly not you**."

Unleashing a wave of agony, she shrieked in pain and was tormented in the artificial being's grip. It felt like hours before she finally was let loose from, the program ending and her injured frame now bathed in solar radiation to heal her rapidly within the confines of the room. Heaving heavily, she grimaced and groaned as she could barely move.

"Hello, Galatea. How is your training going?" A familiar voice boomed in the room around her.

"Screw off, Waller!" She shouted out, coughing at the sudden stress put on her rejuvenating throat.

"Charming as always. However, I actually have need of you."

She was expecting a lecture or some suggestion for mental evaluation conducted through her father. She didn't need any help. She was fine. Despite that being her train of thought, it did surprise her that she was finally given an assignment after such a long time.

With a smile, she began to stretch out her aching muscles and twist her body about while inquiring. "Who do you need to kill?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Galatea. I need you to re-appropriate something that belonged to Cadmus. Rather, a some _one_ ," She emphasized in a way that piqued the clone's curiosity.

"I'm listening," She replied in a patient manner.

"There was a incident several years ago related to a terrorist plot made by the Joker. After he had raided a laboratory belonging to Cadmus that held a number of test subjects, he recruited five particular members to be part of his 'Royal Flush Gang.' Not to be confused with the mob family that's currently cruising in European waters, of course," She began to explain, with Galatea continuing her prep exercise for this impending mission. "Four of them are still at large and likely operating in conjunction with each other. They've appeared in and out, nothing too troubling that needs your care. The fifth one is the subject we're most concerned about."

"Concern? That almost sounds like fear, Waller," She remarked with a cheeky grin, performing push-up's with her legs completely vertical to the ceiling. "Come on. None of your subjects were ever 'World Ending' in scale. Unless you somehow found Project Doomsday from the rock he's been hidden away in, or if Eiling has come out of hiding himself, I doubt there's anything you suits can't handle on your own without my help."

"This is no laughing matter," Waller assured her, the older woman's tone becoming grave as she gave her the facts. "Subject-062305 is one of the strongest psychics on the planet, if not the strongest in potential. At age six, she accidentally put her entire school into a catatonic state that left them all comatose for months. Her family was too terrified to even understand what she was doing, believing that we were simply putting her into a correctional facility. Since then, we've controlled and tested her limits, her mental faculties seemed docile; till all Hell broke loose when the Joker assaulted the compound, taking valuable tech and those five subjects with him. When she put millions into a hypnotic trance, it's been alarmingly apparent she's a threat to national security.

"This girl, this 'Ace', has been simply nowhere until now. Despite the locals never truly calling it in, it wasn't until a particularly loud instance in Georgetown, Virginia that our satellite picked up. Combined with what the locals described as a bout of forgetful short-term amnesia, it's clear that between the images presented and testimonies that this is our subject," She finished, a number of images and bold text side-long with enhanced imagery of the girl.

Long black hair, fair skin with black lips and long eyelashes, onyx irises blending with her prominent pupils. With a white-black dynamic spandex covering her torso up over her shoulders down to form-fitted sleeves. A white card-club hair pin placed into the left side of her hair, her long midnight tresses flowed freely over her shoulders down to the middle of her back. With a pair of grey boots and her legs left bare, she looked harmless had it not been for the passive blank stare that looked inhuman if anyone was to look at it straight-on.

"Who are the others?" Galatea asked, still studying the image of Ace to get a feel for what she should look out for.

"Prominent to obscure individuals who don't have any direct affiliation save for a few. It is unknown what they are doing with her, but it's irrelevant. Your main objective is to retrieve her, alive and with little harm as possible. If she retaliates, make sure she doesn't get away; lethal force is authorized," She ordered, making sure to add with a grating tone for emphasis. "But do not try to pick a fight with the others. Treat them as collateral damage, and if you cause too much, I'll make sure to drop you where you stand and pick up the remains. Are we clear, Galatea?"

Smiling, Galatea's eyes glowed a vibrant crimson around the blue irises, punching an open palm with eagerness, "I gotcha. I'll try not to rough them up; _much_."

* * *

 **A/N:** Whoo boy! This one took longer than I had wanted. I had originally two other ways this chapter could've ended, but I finally got it all together.

In regards to Blue Beetle, let me just say that Young Justice made him likable enough for me to include him into this incarnation of the Teen Titans. His character will largely circulate around the snippets of the comics I've seen him from (Pre-New 52) and his TV Show appearance of YJ. So look forward to his interactions in future chapters.

Kid Eternity is an...odd character, to be sure. A friend suggested him to me as an ideal Magician that defied from the norm or more predictable members I could've thrown in. Given he's the one with the biggest ego, he'll definitely make fun scenarios for our selfless to serious heroes to deal with. Plus, summoning is always fun when you can have such a wide selection to choose from.

With our team assembled at long last, Galatea is on the move after their showdown in Georgetown (unintentional alliteration there). How will they handle the Mighty Maid of Mayhem? Will she succeed in securing captivity of the terrifying psychic? Who or what is the evil threat that looms in the horizon?

Find out, in the next chapter of The Mighty Teen Titans!


	4. Enter Galatea

_Last time, on the Mighty Teen Titans:_

 _When the team convenes to go over what they learned, Robin's additional detailed nightmare gives more insight for the threat's nature. Dealing with a hostile encounter from Kid Eternity and Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, they recruit the pair and decide to go over a proper course of action away from the havoc. Little do they know former Cadmus leader, Amanda Waller, has seen them._

 _And more importantly, saw Ace in the open._

 _Assigning decommissioned Galatea, the clone of the now future departed Supergirl, our heroes are unaware of their impending danger. How will they handle this deranged doppelganger? And will they find the impending doom and stop it in time? Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Enter Galatea**

* * *

The place Robin picked for a meet-up was...truly odd.

When they all arrived through either their own power or Ace's convenient telekinetic tether, they landed in an abandoned plot of land in Gotham City. Said plot of land was the hideout of imprisoned father and daughter farmers, Emmylou and Farmer Brown. Hidden by the confines of a grandiose multi-storied plant, the insides were fashioned with solar lamps, a plot of irrigated land, fresh running water along with a few houses for the steroid injected animals along with a barn to hose the larger creatures. With most deteriorated over time or dead from a silo rocket gone awry, the place was left to rot as no one wanted to purchase a damaged building with stigma behind it.

No one would look for a gaggle of teenagers and two adults -well, one of them legitimately adult- in the dimly lit area faux farm.

"No joke, Farmer Brown had a trident pitchfork that shot energy blasts and his daughter was so pumped full of beef steroids I thought she was the girl of steel's clone!" Tim regaled his bizarre tale to the group of heroes, all sharing a mix of surprise, awe and dry stares.

"I've had my share of adventures with Arrow but that certainly takes the cake," Roy commented with wide blinks behind his mask.

"Man, I would've loved to give them a few whollops! No one should put animals through that kind of abuse; Quick Enterprises always looks for a healthier way to help people eat right, after all!" Jesse fist pumped in a rare bout of inspiring gleams from her eyes.

"I think the part of them terrorizing the city because of a spiteful old farmer rightly ruled out of making monsters was a BIT more important," Jaime interjected with a emphasized pair of pinched fingers.

" **Indeed. The farmer should have supplied your local armed forces with the monsters. They'd make excellent shock troops** -"

"That's NOT any better!" Jaime yelled at his backside, alarming as much as confusing his new 'acquaintences'.

"Are you talking to yourself?" Robin asked with a raised brow.

"I WARNED YOU HE WAS POSSESSED!" Kid Eternity jabbed a finger with indignant anger.

"Oh shut it, Infinity-"

"ETERNITY!"

"No one cares!" Mary snorted with a roll of her eyes as she waved dismissively at him.

"It's kind of like a mind link," Jaime explained nervously, chuckling as he pointed at his hoodie covered back. "Because he's fused to me, we kind of use the same nervous system and we share our thoughts. He's just the only one who can't speak audibly for himself."

" **Jaime Reyes, if I overrode your neural pathways and took direct command** -"

"Denied," He blankly retorted.

" **Then you will continue to look clinically insane. The choice is yours**."

Sighing, the cybernetic man massaged the bridge of his nose, "It can get irritating when I have a one-way conversation when I'm in the middle of a crowd, believe me."

"Eh, I get that with my boss," Robin nodded with affirmation of his own sometimes one-sided dialogue with the Dark Knight.

"If we're all ready to have a course of action," Roy began, getting an affirming nod from Mary, he turned to look at the patiently silent Ace who just looked blankly at everybody. "You have a goal in mind for how we're to detect this phenomena?"

"Given that this dream has now two others, it's time we try to piece the dots together. I have a solution that may takes us in that direction, but to do that," Ace gestured with her hand to Robin and Kid Eternity. "I'll need you both to voluntarily allow me to join minds with you."

"Didn't you already invade my privacy?" Tim twitched with visible annoyance.

"I read the surface of your thoughts. They helped piece together the Dark Knight's thoughts that I felt years ago. Memories are different," Emphasizing nonchalantly with her hands, she continued the explanation. "In order for me to get a proper sense of what happened I need to see the whole picture. I can do it forcefully, but it can do damage to the person's mind I'm probing if I am not careful. It's easier this way."

"You may search my mind to your heart's content, fair maiden," Kid bowed in a gentleman's lean forward with his right arm sweeping out to wrap around his bent chest. He angled his visor so he could look towards the Boy Wonder's direction and smirk challengingly. "I have far more trust you'll do no harm if you say so. I have nothing but the ripest of fruits for you to preview; no secrets needing to keep behind closed doors, as it were."

"You know..." Robin began, letting out a belated sigh and shrugged towards Ace. "Go ahead. Just know I give permission to have Annie slap you if you do anything like _Scanners_ to my head."

"Scanners?" Annie inquired with a tilt of the head.

"You and I are going to have a lot of catching up to do when this is over. A good few movie nights are in order of things you MUST watch. Maybe a few binge watches of TV shows. Shoot, you probably don't even know what Anime is!"

"Anime?"

"Oh the cringe is so real! It hurts!" Jesse squealed out as she palmed her face with both hands.

"Yeah, you guys do your business," Roy intoned, already walking away with his hand retrieving another cigarette. "I'll keep watch on what counts as an upper floor for this gouged out dump."

"I'll come with," Jaime offered. "Might as well stretch out the legs and I got some good senses thanks to the scarab."

"Sure, just give me some space, kay?"

"No problem, _jefe_ ," The Blue Beetle acknowledged, his armor folding over his clothes and wrapping around his exposed tissue.

As the two departed, Mary looked at Ace whose eyes became a pupiless gold. Waving in front of her, she huffed, turning to the others who looked around curiously. Annie was standing next to Robin as the latter enthralled her with dialogue, unknowingly while being sifted for the memories of his nightmare. Kid Eternity, strangely enough, sat down cross-legged with hands on his knees and looked as if he was entering a state of meditation.

Jesse, however, groaned aloud and leaned back to proclaim, "I. Am. So. Bored!"

"No argument there," Mary responded with a sputter towards her bangs. Looking around with a brow raised, she made a small smile. "You know, if this place was spruced up a bit and some interior decorating was made, we could make this our F.O.B. What do you think? Got pockets deep enough to make that happen?"

"With undesirable realestate? Pffffft, sure can," She grinned cheekily while giving a thumb's up. "As long as I can bargain with my dad as to make this a proper investment -in other words, make this a site worth the expenses- I can always make a wild business venture like this. Now that I think about it, let's check this place out and see what we got to work with."

"Sure thing," Mary nodded, walking away from the four with a brief look at their way. Shaking her head, knowing she couldn't do much standing around, she raced off with the speedster to evaluate the building's premises.

Premises that was homed in by an orbital viewing figure, clad in white.

* * *

The building top was a good vantage point. Despite its positioning, the structure had a clear view of Gotham City's bay and was a good portion out that it could be easy to enter the Atlantic in a few minutes of swimming. With his arrows being checked on, Arsenal had his right arm perform scans on each one to make sure each particular specialty head was either functioning or was equipped tightly enough.

As he tinkered away, he felt rather than heard the quiet Jaime staring his way. Turning to look at him with a blunt stare, the cyber-suited teen looked down at the archer's arm and back up with a finger pointed at the said appendage.

"So, what's up with you?"

"Excuse you," Roy retorted with a suppressed snarl.

"Sorry, it's just, that arm is really high-tech," He remarked, his eyes running several scans with the suit's HUD over it. "It's got several transforming functions with _fornido_ tools inside. What's more, you got a Xenothium battery. How did you get such a synthesized power supply from one of the most unstable minerals discovered in the last decade?"

Blinking with surprise, Arsenal asked with a tilt of the head, "How old are you?"

"Oh! _Apenado_ , I should've explained," Jaime shook his head, tapping his temple with his left finger. "The scarab can see what I see, and he puts up these windows around my eyes, kind of like a HUD. I see it and I can find out what I'm seeing by what he's scanning."

"Here I thought you were just a young 'genius' who ripped off the actual genius by pretending to know what you did. Glad to see you're honest," Roy intoned, going back to work at tweaking with his arrows. "Someone needs to be."

"Still didn't answer my question," He pointed out.

"The arm wasn't originally outfitted for that. It was a replacement a friend gave after...well...I guess you could say I was on a team like this awhile ago. Things didn't work out, lost an arm a bit before that, and after we separated that friend gave me the arm. Haven't heard from him since," He answered, sighing as he scanned a particularly intricate arrowhead, with digital veins running up the shaft to a cylindrical blunt edge that looked almost like a tube. "The Xenothium actually came from me making a deal with a certain someone. Beyond that, I rather not say."

"Hey, sorry if I was prying, man-"

"Don't worry about it," Arsenal replied, fistening the final touches of the memorable arrow before depositing it into his quiver. Looking out at the bay, he sighed, turning to look over at Blue Beetle. "So, how does a kid from the south end up all the way on the east coast?"

"Oh man. You wouldn't believe how I got there before _loco_ the summoner mistook me for some _diablo_ ," He exasperated with an exasperated lean back on the roof.

As he leaned back, he'd see a girl with a firm toned pair of legs lead up from small white boots to a one-piece, long sleeved body suit. With her generous cleavage exposed from a hole near its center, a pair of white gloves complemented with a golden belt wrapped around her waist, she hand both hands resting on her hips. By the time Jaime looked up towards her eyes, he recoiled at the haunting look of sadism in her eyes; like a predator looking at prey.

"No please," Galatea began, waving her arms out as she laughed darkly. "Don't let little ol' me stop you. Indulge my curiosity."

" _Didn't even sense her approach, let alone hear her. What kind of freak of nature is she?_ " Arsenal thought as he wordlessly drew back his bowstring to his cheek, eyes narrowed at her. Releasing it without provacation, the arrow-head popped open to reveal a boxing glove at its end. Caught by the shaft, a look of amusement was seen on the clone's face while Roy's person showed the dilation behind his mask.

"A boxing glove arrow? You and your trick arrows aren't going to lay a dent on me," She remarked with a grin as she broke the shaft like a twig.

The result of which caused the glove to blink rapidly and release a sizable explosion that rocked the building top, blowing back the archer from his footing to roll down to the roof's edge. Digging his bionic arm's fingers into it, he stopped himself from plummeting off the edge while Jaime's suit absorbed the brunt of the blast. With a strained huff he lifted himself back up, seeing Galatea's nonplussed expression.

"Oh that's fantastic," He mumbled out loud.

The Argonian Clone inhaled through her nostrils and exhaled out of her mouth, releasing a tumultous gust that sent the archer careening away from the building towards the surface of Gotham Bay. As he was sent blowing away, she turned to receive a sudden sting of plasma impact her chest and make her step back. Despite the sizzling burn her protective costume received, it only served to anger her as the Blue Beetle saw.

" **Jaime Reyes. You must up the power of your plasma cannon if you are to make an increment of damage to the genetic template of the Argonian clone**."

"Wait, how did you-?" Jaime briefly questioned, only to be cut off by a sudden painful blast that tore the plating off his cylindrical arm-cannon. Recoiling in pain, he waved his hand from the heat as it transformed into a partially damaged armored hand. Looking back at Galatea's red eyes, she released another burst of Heat Vision direction at his chest cavity, this time blocked by Jaime's right arm forming a deflector shield. "Nevermind! Talk later! Anything we can use against her?!"

" **Scanning. Please wait**."

"No, take your time, amigo. It's not like I'm about to die or anything!" He exclaimed sarcastically.

" **Suggestion: Use a sonic emitter to damage the clone's heightened senses**."

"Getting right on that," He hissed, allowing the metal to envelop his left arm and form a ribbed, bulb-ended protrusion that glowed blue up each fin. Pointing it past his shield, he unleashed a revolution of piercing sound waves that shook the building's rooftop and sheared the tiles from it in the process. It was only due to his HUD that he saw the ripples move, and the instant they were about to touch the clone, she vanished in a blur of white. "Where did she-?"

A crack was sounded as a well placed haymaker smashed into the back of his head. Even through the suit his head felt like a lead pipe impacted his skull. Stumbling forward, he saw stars and barely held onto consciousness; a mistake, as he felt a kick to his side that sent him sprawling across the roof and skid over the other side to fall off the edge.

Caught, in the nick of time, by Mary Marvel.

"We heard some commotion," She intoned, setting him down through the open window she took flight from. "Didn't think you were in trouble until an explosion and that loud ringing was made. Where's Roy?"

"H-He got thrown off the building. Into the water," He replied, still reining himself in from his injury.

"Jesse," Mary turned, already seeing a flash of light as she took off to find him. Seconds later she returned with him in her arms, looking more grumpy than in pain. "Good. We should head this person off before it's too late."

A thundrous crash was sounded from above their heads, interrupting that chian of thought. Galatea careened straight through and hit the earth below that it made the whole island the structure presided upon to quake. Rising up from the small crater, the blonde observed the other Titans while wearing a pleased smile on her face.

"Look at you! Got your own little clubhouse on a farm! Ain't this quaint?" She shouted and sneered with a demented giggle. "Why don't I leave some of my own crop? All it needs is a little water and some fertilizer; care you volunteer on the latter?"

"Is that...Supergirl?" Robin asked with a confused stare, believing he had seen her before. Regardless, the way she glared his way made him tense up and postured with readiness.

Annie meanwhile balled her fists up and stood beside Tim protectively. She didn't know if she could help, but she wouldn't let this person hurt him or any of her new friends.

"You're right and _dead_ wrong," Galatea replied, looking at the Boy Wonder with a dark smile. "I'm better than she ever hoped to be."

"Why don't you prove it?" Jesse inquired, beckoning her with a come hither gesture at the clone. "Unless you're afraid of fighting all of us?"

"Don't kid yourselves," She snorted, turning to look at the motionless Ace. Nodding her way, she spoke succinctly. "I'm only here for her. The rest of you just mind your own business."

"And if we refuse?" Mary asked with a glare aimed at the Maid of Mayhem.

Grinning madly, Galatea's eyes glowed white bordered red as she spread her arms outward, "I was hoping you'd say that!"

In a blitzing fashion, Galatea palm-thrust Blue Beetle in the torso in the blink of an eye. As a pop of explosive air pressure sent Jaime flying away from the indented site, the blonde woman turned to backhand a leaping Robin away from her person. Even as he tumbled, Annie rushed in with her body becoming aglow of mesmerizing orange around her usually plain appearance.

When Galatea caught Annie's fist, she was surprised when she let loose a column of Hellfire that licked at her skin and explosively pushed her back by the heels. Gaping only for a moment, she unleashed heat vision towards the girl who blocked, her body contorting into a palate of white, red and gold that rippled across her frame. Hotter and hotter she grew until dollops of sweat excreted from her cheeks as she was being pushed back by the sheer force of superwoman.

She'd only break off when Jesse and Mary rushed at her from either side, leaning back to watch them awkwardly hit each other in odd positions. Stomping back, she grabbed both girls by the hair and jumped to slam both of her knees into their skulls. Spinning around like a cyclone by their hair, she tossed both of them across the plot of land with ease, remaining in the air as her eyes homed in on Ace.

"Is she in some sort of trance?" She queried, wondering why the girl was just standing upright and not moving an inch despite the danger she was in. In this moment of deliberation, she felt a cascade of explosive arrows bludgeon her backside, feeling akin to bug bites rather than actual stings. Turning to look over her shoulder, she was on the verge of retaliation when a wave of sound shrieked over her, forcing the Maiden of Mayhem to clutch at her ears in shock more than the pain coursing through her.

"Eat sonics, _puta_!" Jaime snarled, clutching at his chest as he laid a relentless cacophony of sound from his transformed right arm.

"Keep attacking! Don't let up for a moment!" Robin shouted, unleashing a trio of explosive batarangs that detonated on the ground prone Galatea.

Roy grabbed a particular arrow to notch into the string when he saw Galatea rise up to her feet. Pulling back the string to his cheek in a panic, he shot and missed as she throttled herself through the sonic waves towards the source at a thought defying speed. When she reached Blue Beetle's proximity, he attempted to form a plasma cannon in his left arm only for both appendages to be grabbed and the machinery crushed.

"That stung, little man!" She snarled, clapping her hands on each side of his head to make his whole body spasm. The trauma was enough to render Jaime inert, his eyes rolling to the back of his head and blood spout from his mouth with saliva. As he dropped into unconsciousness, she turned just in time to dodge an energy coursing arrow.

Said arrow had tendrils of light that latched onto her shoulder and lassoed around her in several revolutions till the tip struck her abdomen. There was a white light followed by a shriek as the Quantum tip detonated with a mighty detonation that left a rolling ball of destructive force in its wake.

One that left a cloud of steam coming off Galatea, looking more livid than harmed by the attack.

"So, was that your trump card?" She asked with a hint of annoyance. "I hope it was worth almost hitting your teammate. Now I'm going to snap that bow in half over your head."

Roy flinched, doubting if he could move fast enough to stop her. It was in her slow walk towards him that he saw Batman's ward rush up from behind to grapple her with his legs around her neck in a running jump. A pair of batarangs in either hand, he jammed them into her ears, tampering with her drums and causing a temporary measure of balance loss.

Even though he was grabbed by the front of his uniform and smashed into the earth, she fell to one knee and her vision swam. It was enough to determine Roy to collapse and put his bow behind his back, and point his metal arm towards her. A slot opened to reveal a slender finger-length barrel that lit up with scarlet light as the energy in his prosthetic thrummed wildly, overcasting the environment with its hue.

When he fired, the bolt of light made Galatea's eyes widen and her head barely moved to the right in time. Searing the building along with the pasture behind the girl, it left a nasty burn mark over the top of her shoulder and the left side of her cheek. The pain motivated her to yank the batarangs from her ears, crushing them to dust and snap her hand along the side of the pinned Robin's neck.

" _That's another down_ ," She mentally counted upon leaving the sidekick unconscious. Her ears' temporary damage was slowly undone, allowing her to hear the breathing of recovering Mary Marvel and Jesse Quick; with the unusual girl who withstood her heat vision, she was still dealing with the strange armed archer. " _The next person I'll take down will be you, big man!_ "

Arsenal decided to play tactical, knowing his participation as a heavy hitter was moot. With Blue Beetle serving as an example not to rely on tech and Robin not to get too close, he chose to fight smartly. Twisting his prosthetic so the wrist jut out, he shot out a web of red string that became a net to entangle her.

Of the several scenarios he predicted, he saw her leap up into the air and avoid the snare; leaving her open to a bludgeoning impact from behind. In the sound of a thunderclap, she gaped at Mary Marvel's sudden attack, turning around to swing a kick that the Shazam empowered woman blocked with an upraised arm. A yanking sensation was felt from below with Arsenal tangling her ankles with another discharge of Xenothium, twisting her around towards the orange glowing form of Annie.

With her right arm becoming a conduit of heat and shape-shifting into something akin to dense metal, she thrust her arm into her target's last second guarding arms. Sent awry from the popping shockwave with flames licking at her person, this left her open to being attacked on all sides by Jesse. The speedster's barrage of powerful punches, elbow jabs and palm-thrusts was a cycle of dizzying pain that left her surprised by not just its swift execution, but its strength as well.

In a bout of abject frustration, her legs snapped off the sticky binds and she spun around to avoid the last of Jesse's attacks to appear behind the speedster. Thrusting both arms in unison, one above the other, the speedster lurched and gaped, her body bowing as she was launched with immense force across the facility's interior and smashing into the far wall.

Just as another blast of energy was sent her way did she swiftly rush Roy, gut punching him before rendering him unconscious with a light head butt to his own weaker forehead. His bloodied, dazed frame fell on its back allowing her to turn to Annie as she rushed to hit her again with a right hook. Catching her fist, she inhaled deeply and released a freezing wave of air that quickly froze over her in a compact prison she couldn't escape from.

"No!" Mary cried out, moving in to clock Galatea across the jaw with a swift descent from the air. "How could you?! She didn't-!"

"I gave you one chance," The clone replied coolly, twisting back to deliver a stronger hay maker across Mary Marvel's cheek. "You blew it!"

Growling, Mary unleashed a potent blast of electricity from her palm that staggered Galatea with shocked pain. A scorched burn was imprinted over the exposed portion of her uniform, enraging the clone enough to unleash a searing beam from her eyes back at her. Coating her hands with a similar magic current, the second champion of the wizard withstood the attack for a good while.

" **SHAZAM**!" Mary shouted, calling upon a bolt of magic lightning that materialized within the ceiling of the hollowed facility. It struck Galatea, bringing out a shriek of pain that coursed all throughout her body. In a flashing halo of shocks, she had stopped her heat vision and growled.

"SHA-!"

"DON'T!" Galatea howled, her body catapulting forward to punch Mary into the abdomen while keeping her momentum.

"SAY!" She landed another punch, this one just as deafening as the last.

"ANOTHER!" The clone pulled back her left arm and then drove it straight into Mary's face, driving it into the earth within an immense shockwave that shook the island with its intensity. "WORD!"

Caught off guard, she noticed that she had prematurely KO'd the mighty marvel woman. With a broken nose and eyes rolled over, Galatea huffed from the exertion. In her pain induced anger, the memory of being electrocuted by the Watchtower's power core through an exposed cable, she had lost it and unleashed her full power against her. It was only through a stroke of luck that nobody died in this instant; otherwise she knew Waller would have her head.

Seeing the destruction wrought around, she exhaled through her nose with satisfaction. The one person that seemed to not engage her at all, apart from the psychic, was the young man with red shades. Even as she shimmered before him and the eerily statue-acting Ace, they both seemed unmoved by their environments. Snapping her fingers before either them, she sighed.

"Well shoot. I was kind of looking forward to being pitted against Cadmus' secret weapon. Oh well, less work for me, I guess," She snorted aloud, gently lifting Ace who seemed to fall limply over her shoulder. With her super hearing she noticed that she was faintly breathing but didn't seem like she was moving at all. With a satisfied nod, she bent her knees and lifted off the ground, leaving the team decimated but alive.

Something she knew Waller would tolerate as parameters for success.

* * *

 _This will not do._

 _The plan was never meant to go this way. Outside forces not part of this struggle interfered. I was careless. What power they wield, what misguided intent steers them. They know not the stakes. The enemy is watching, and is aware of the existence of her, while it searches for the vessel._

 _No, the time to act is now. I cannot stand by. But I must not reveal my existence yet. No, they must be gathered together once more. With the pieces all in place, then I shall tell them of their looming doom and the hand them the key to their possible salvation. Their will is strong and their resolve even stronger in the face of an overwhelming force._

 _I will aid them quietly, until the time is right._

 _Now, you all who slumber after such a defeat; **RISE!**_

* * *

Robin suddenly felt his eyes open, an unknown energy sweeping his body and coursing through his veins. Pain quickly subsided, injuries recede and a cold lingering knowledge that something unnatural happened. All he remembered was fighting this super girl copy. As he got up, he wearily smiled with relief, knowing that wherever she went, she wouldn't get far. He stabbed her ears and in the midst of it he distinctly remembered leaving a tracer inside the point of penetration.

"Looks like everybody is accounted for," Robin noted, blearily blinking at the other slowly recovering members of the Titans. The only one that he knew wasn't among them was Ace. For one reason or another, whoever she worked for wanted her back badly enough to send someone as strong as she was.

The only person who didn't participate in the fight, was Kid Eternity. Something he was persistent in talking to him about.

Grabbing Eternity by the collar, he shook him, trying to get his attention out of whatever meditation he was under. It wasn't until he opened his eyes and revealed a pupiless light that gleamed around his visor that made the partner of Batman stumble back out of fright.

"What are you-?!"

" **Robin** ," A more authoritative tone was heard, starting to dim and his countenance returning to what it was before. "I'm...sorry. I was communicating with the beyond, making it easier for the young maiden to search my memories for clues. I'm not myself when I-"

He stopped short, realizing the stench of scorched earth and the sight of battle that had taken place. Looking around he was shocked, and he stood upright in a panic, "What happened? What battle took place to cause such widespread destruction?! And where is the esper girl?! Is she alright?!"

"That's what I want to find out," Tim palmed an open fist, his anger receding when he realized there was no ill intent from Kid. Looking over to the other heroes, he formulated a plan in his head. Spending the past few years as the Dark Knight's ward made it easier to come up with ideas off the fly, especially in a bind.

Now, as Ace told him his place was their leader, was the time to prove it.

"Everyone!" He declared, sweeping a hand with his eyes focused behind his domino mask. "I know we got our hides kicked but we need to move past this. Ace is gone and we need to rescue her. If our dreams are linked in any way, then this threat is starting to become a whole more threatening."

"Nice speech and all," Roy began, dusting himself off while inspecting his arm and the injuries that he should've had, but didn't. "But without her, most of us human folk can't navigate across a stretch of land -or water- as quickly. How are we supposed to follow someone who probably has hundreds of miles on us?"

"We'll just have to cope," Tim intoned, looking over at Mary and then Blue Beetle. "Jaime, Mary, can you carry some of us there?"

" **It'd be an irresponsible use of our technology, Jaime Reyes. Let them find their own route** -"

"Sure," Jaime replied with a shrug.

" **Reyes!** "

"Oh shut up and deal with it!" He hissed at his shoulder.

" **Given our predicament, I'm unable to reject without harming the both of us**."

"Good to know," Jaime gesturing for one of the four to grab his hand. Roy walked up to him and gave him a roll of the eyes as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just this once," He murmured.

"That leaves Kid, Annie and I," Robin noted.

"I can carry the cute couple," Mary offered with a cheeky grin, made all the more brazen when she saw said pair blush at the mentioning of it.

"Ugh, I guess I can take Mr. Full of Himself-"

"Kid. Eternity. To you!" The summoner indignantly pointed at her with a puffed up chest.

"I. Don't. Care," Jesse mocked him, but still reached for his grip so he could hold on tight. "You're lucky I have the strength on top of speed to make this a blissfully short trip."

"Speaking of which, do we know where is our heading, Sir Robin?"

Ignoring the annoying title added to his name, Robin pulled out the GPS linked to his tracer. With a smile, he turned to look at them with eagerness, "Not far away, actually. A little place in the middle of Pennsylvania."

"Oh thank the Speed Force, that won't take long!" Jesse cried out with relief, much to Eternity's frowning chagrin.

"Alright gang. Let's move out!" Tim ordered, taking Mary's hand while Annie took the other. When everybody had their respective flight partner, they all raced away in a trio of blurs that left little evidence of their departure than a sonic boom. Soon, they'd arrive at their friend's place of capture.

And soon, they'll find out the truth behind these visions and the impending doom they all dream of.

* * *

 **A/N:** And, done. Wow this took a lot less time than the last one. Probably because I wasn't so distracted. In any case, I'm glad how this is developing. Between the Titans' interactions with each other, foreshadowing for future things down the line and hints of the plot's momentum carrying it forward, I'm eager to reveal what I have in store for our heroes.

Until next time, see ya all in the next chapter of The Mighty Teen Titans!


	5. The Phantom Stranger

_Last time on the Mighty Teen Titans:_

 _As Ace ventured forth to fit the pieces of the dreams both Robin and Kid Eternity gave to her, the psychic entered an immovable trance that left her unaware of the outside world. During this time Galatea, a ruthless clone with sadistic urges descended upon the Titans and did battle with them. One after the other, all fell before her might and impulsive force._

 _However, an unknown factor interceded from the shadows, granting them a quick recovery so they may give chase. With their destination set, the Titans move with haste to recover their new friend. What will they find when they reach her? Will they be able to succeed?_

 _Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - The Phantom Stranger**

Amanda Waller was a hard woman to please.

She had, in the past, undergone a significant number of successes with an even greater amount of blunders to keep her sober. She understood her own shortcomings, especially with her trust misplaced in someone like Lex Luthor to be a capable ally. The only thing she positively reaped in the subsequent events that nearly claimed the end of all life on the Earth was a newfound appreciation for Earth's mightiest heroes: the Justice League.

As such, her newfound position as leader of a new accountable group that worked on behest of the White House -known as Checkmate- was done in a much more kosher manner. Thus a great number of people were reassigned to other mundane tasks while newer blood took their place. One of the only such individuals that still worked with her in a capable standing was Doctor Emil Hamilton and his greatest project, Galatea.

No one knew of the passion and dedication held with Cadmus more than he, one that she trusted him during their group's darkest days. Regardless of what many may thought after its activities were revealed and discredited, they all did what they believed was best for the country. And given he had no direct influence in doing malicious activities or have ulterior motives, he remained on board which meant Galatea stayed around too.

Contained and controlled, of course.

Which is why to her surprise when she heard the report from Supergirl's Clone that she didn't kill any of the Titans and managed to retrieve the girl unharmed. It was quite astounding. She couldn't remember the last time she remembered the lab grown Argonian finished an objective without some collateral damage of some scale being involved.

But she saw it with her own eyes, hands clasped behind her back as Ace was carted away with her eyes placidly open in a disturbing fashion. Looking at Galatea, however, the girl was hissing at the visible burns and bloodied scrapes. It looked like, from the older woman's perspective, she had an electrical burn that covered her body head to toe.

"Get yourself to the training room. We'll turn on the solar lamps so you can recover from your fight-"

"I don't need it," She growled back at Amanda, eyes glaring daggers at her. "This is nothing!"

"I'm not saying you can't handle it. I'm telling you I want you at your peak in case something goes wrong involving Ace. Get yourself, to the training room, now," She intoned, her eyes steeled at the clone with a coolness that even gave Galatea pause. "Or do you want me to remind you what will happen if I decide you're not worth the trouble? We always have more DNA to use. More clones to do better what you didn't do in the first place."

Visibly twitching, the superwoman's hands tightened into fists at her sides, shaking in place. The threat wasn't idle, she knew this for a fact. If Amanda was put in a sour mood, she could terminate her with a flick of a switch; failing that, if she expired she would go with her. Such an ultimatum for the price of obedience and living drove her to fits of frustration she hadn't felt since _she_ was still around.

Now it was just her. Alone. Isolated with her own thoughts and her unending madness that haunts her of weakness, doubt and failure. The high from the earlier wanton violence had worn off and now she felt empty inside.

Obedience, for now, was in her best interest if she was to live for another day.

Exhaling through the nostrils harshly, she turned on her heels and left without a word. This pleased Amanda enough to make a curt smile at her retreat, immediately turning to walk towards the observation room where Ace was to be locked up in. There, it was a sealed isolation chamber with four sides of reinforced glass that had one-sided mirrors.

Ace's eyes had remained in a transfixed position, staring into something that no one else in the complex could see. It unnerved her just how precarious this powerful young girl's mind was at the moment. She wanted to run a battery of tests and possibly inject her with some sedatives to keep her under control. But as she was when Galatea retrieved her, visibly indicated without a fight against her in particular, she paused.

Time went by as she stood still, watching and waiting, putting her schedule on hold so she could keep a personal eye on the subject. Eventually, someone came by with some preliminary results.

She is a young woman of dark complexion in a labcoat with a turtle neck green blouse and a pencil skirt dress, complemented with her brown eyes and braided chocolate colored hair put back by a braid. Clearing her throat, she additionally adjusting her spectacles as she gained her superior's attention. "Ms. Waller, I'm a bit...puzzled by what's happening inside of Ace's head."

"Tell me something I don't know, Doctor Spence," Amanda joked half seriously.

"I mean it," Doctor Spence replied with a clearly worried expression as she handed a hand-held device that had scrolling specs of erratic waves of varying colors. "There's a pattern within her brainwaves. Ordinarily we'd just see high activity compared to a normal human's brain, but this time, it's like she's in some state of self induced hypnosis. We don't know if she's dreaming or if she's looking for something in her own head."

"I didn't know psychics could read their own thoughts. I thought it worked only one way," The Checkmate director stated, clearly furrowing her brows as she looked as the mesmerizing patterns of brain waves moving in different directions and forming what looked like a calculated movement. "If what you say is true, is there any way to bring her out of it? Or would it be wise to inject her with some sedatives?"

"I'm not sure either course of action is wise," The scientist pushed her spectacles up her nose and looked over at the still unmoving Ace strapped to her bed. "Given her unknown potential, it could trigger a psychic backlash of devastating proportions. That, or another worst outcome, her own brain could hemorrhage if she's drugged while in a delicate state of unconsciousness. She has to will herself back to being awake if we are to perform any due course of action."

"I'll take that under careful consideration, Doctor," Amanda nodded, turning to look back at the sealed chamber. Crossing her arms behind her back, she tilted her head and muttered quietly to the still close woman. "Does Emil know we have her?"

"I don't believe he does yet, no," She shook her head with affirmation.

"See to it that you discuss any alternative measures at once," The former head of Cadmus ordered briskly, turning on her heels and walking steadily towards the nearest hallway. "I'm going to make a call. _They_ should know of the gravity of our situation before I make a decision."

"Understood," She nodded, looking at Ace briefly before calling at Amanda's back. "How much security do you want around the isolation chamber?"

"Get Guardian up here! Rick Flagg will be summoned with Task Force X if something goes awry!" She shouted with a glance over her shoulder. "And if he isn't busy, Major Force should be more than sufficient security."

The doctor shuddered at the mention of the second grade Atomic Man being summoned. Even the criminals employed through force and blackmail in Task Force X were nothing compared to the orange-red containtment suited agent in Checkmate. If there was a comparison to be made, she would rather be next to Galatea for a day rather than the man whose mere gaze could light her aflame with radioactive heat.

Regardless, she immediately called up the people as instructed. If something went horribly wrong with Ace like she hypothesized, she'd take even the emotionally unstable gamma man over a psychic backlash. Nothing could save them from that terror.

No force on Earth, that is.

* * *

The visions were something like puzzle pieces. They were all part of a bigger picture. Something lied within them that spoke a hidden truth that was covered in fog. Navigating through the dreams, including her own, was a challenge due to them belonging to separate psyches and taking them into her own subconscious to analyze them. If she had to compare this to anything, it'd be like taking separate crime scenes across the world and trying to draw a direct link to them.

Gazing at the nightmare Robin had, she saw the childhood she wished she had. Going to school, laughing and playing, being teased or experiencing hardships. Being normal was something she wanted to have, but lost when she had her first 'accident'. She doesn't remember anything about herself, just that she wanted her mother and father. Everything from that point up was a miasma of uncertainty and indiscernable memories; the only days she remember are those of Cadmus.

But when she saw the fantasy school reduced to ash, the bodies were strangely gathered into piles and set aflame. She faintly heard wheezing, gasps for air even as they were roasted upon one another. Walking close to one, she stepped back as a hand reached out from the pile, a familiar charred glove with a bloodshot blue eyes looking at her with a pleading stare.

She couldn't make out what he said, only that the towering serpents were like the flames themselves, only wispy and ethereal in nature. They connected at the seams of a large mountain. But unlike a mountain, it was seamless and had physical sheen that made it unnatural. The serpents were like loose threads of an enormous cloak that led up to a violet outlined mane of hair that rivulet with animation. A silhouette of a face turned, with eyes of the deepest black abyss with irises like that of a planet of blood in each orb.

Shuddering, she backed away, turning her psychic form till she turned to see another scene unfold before her entirely.

She knew this must be Kid Eternity's vision for its unknown factor at play here. There were dozens of intimidating entities walking in husks of flesh. Their bodies ebbed a similar black fire, but did not burn their bodies. Like the excess power bursting from the seams of a furnace that could barely contain it, even their eyes or mouths seemed to spew the unholy tongues.

Upon closer inspection she saw one of them was one of their friends, Jaime Reyes in his Blue Beetle armor. He almost looked undead, with very little distinction of the person she met left of him. He, along with a few others, had the same condition. It truly did appear like something was possessing them, pulling them along like puppets to strings.

And those strings seemed to be transparently visible to her, the dreamer, and rose up to a black sky where they spiraled from a black hole above her. Rimmed around the hole was the red eye that she had seen from Robin's dream, now looking down upon her as if she was merely another doll to use. The nightmare seemed to coalesce with the others, swirling around her like an unforgiving maelstrom of fear and impending agony that wished to swallow her up.

" **So, you can see it, can't you?** " A voice suddenly called out to her, freezing the horrific scenery in place like a living painting. Recoiling from the sound, she turned to see the imagery fade away like smoke, the point of its dispersal being ahead of her. It was a man, dressed in dark blue cloak, worn over his deep blue two-piece suit, tied by a golden chain wrapped around his white collared under shirt. With black gloves barely visible at his sides and his eyes along with a good deal of his upper facial features obscured by the shadow cast by his fedora, he appeared to be a phantom that appeared directly into her mind; apart from her nightmare and consciousness entirely.

"Wh-Who are you?" Ace asked, still a bit terrified of the events that had unfolded in front of her.

" **I am a Stranger,** " He intoned, a hint of grim humor implied as he tugged at the forward lip of his hat. " **Phantom Stranger, if you must know. I'm sure you have many questions, but I cannot promise I can answer them all for my time is limited here. I will do my best, for I fear you and the Teen Titans are the only ones who can avert this tragedy before it becomes a complete reality.** "

Steeling herself, Ace returned her expression to her normal stoic of a blank expression. Quietly, she asked, "Who is our enemy, and what is it after?"

* * *

"There it is!" Robin exclaimed, his eyes widened with realization at the complex dead ahead was homing in on the tracers he had embedded into Galatea's inner ears. Had he only put the one, he knew that she'd figure out something was making an odd sound and she'd extract it. But thanks to two of them being in there, she could chalk it up to her needing to recover from possible ear damage she suffered.

Which led them to what looked like hexagonal shaped facility, completely walled off with no windows to speak of. He hoped that they could've gone in an easier route than the front door, but this was fine. Where a isolated system had no windows, they had routes through their vital ventilation system protruding to the outside.

Directing them to the spot wasn't hard, the lack of any real barrier apart from a wide perimeter electric fence made it easy to intrude.

"You know, for a place that beefy chick came from," Jesse noted, her head turn in many directions in the blink of an eye. "This place certainly doesn't have much security outside."

"That may change once we breach," Roy intoned gravely.

"Just give me a sec," Tim placated, using one of a slew of gadgetry from his belt. Finigling with a vent's exterior, he noticed a slight refraction of light stir within the interior of the broad exhaust vent. Once the grate was detached, he pulled out a special pen-sized light that shined a blue color; revealing a web of intersecting security lasers. "Ah, yeah, this looks like why they didn't invest into artillery parking in the front lawn."

"Let me see that," Jaime volunteered, given access by an agreeable Robin who scooted away. Bending down, his hand reached just shy of the lasers and clamped to the metal surface. A variety of digital veins encroached on the surface of his palm, seeping through the infrastructure and tapping into the latent security. With his HUD flashing through dozens of command prompts, the scarab helped him identify the ones he needed. "Aaaaaand, there. Got the security deactivated along with cameras put on a loop for the next hour. Should be plenty of time to find her and make a hasty retreat."

"I just hope she's okay," Annie whispered quietly, hand held up to her mouth with worry.

"We'll get her back, Annie. Count on it," Robin reassured her with a smile and a thumb's up.

He entered in the vents first, followed by Blue Beetle so that he could make any instant changes to the security as they went. Followed up was Jesse, Mary, Kid and Roy to keep an eye on their six. They all hobbled awkwardly in subdued silence, aiming to not attract any attention upon entry. While stealth was going to be near impossible once they freed their friend, they didn't want to lose the advantage of surprise sooner rather than later.

During their journey, they heard a variety of footsteps pass underneath them and others moving on calm patrol.

"You heard Captain Flagg! Get a move on it!" One shouted as he ran past two security personnel walking in the same direction.

"What's the big deal? Isn't she comatose?"

"Unconscious isn't the same as being in a coma, Hank."

"I know but still, why are we mobilizing as if she was awake? Isn't this better?"

"What do you think would happen if she did wake up and they fail to contain her?"

"What good is a gun to a girl who could turn my brains inside out?"

"I don't know, but that's why, so less talking and more walking."

"Isn't the living Atomic Bomb already guarding it?"

"Major Force is just one guy. We are there for support, so please don't do anything stupid like run to the bathroom when things go wrong."

"Isn't that something anyone would do when the world's most dangerous psychic is unleashed?"

"Just keep moving," The man finally sighed as his partner and him walked around the corner out of sight from the vent traveling group.

"Major Force? Captain Flagg? That means we're in Checkmate HQ," Robin deduced, turning to speak in a hushed fashion to the onlooking teammates who looked on with a mixture of familiarity and confusion. "They're ex-Cadmus leaders, now under the highest of brasses' control. By breaking in here we're technically breaking the law and becoming wanted criminals."

"Is that going to stop you, hermano?" Jaime inquired dryly.

"No," Tim smiled back wryly. "Just thought to let you guys know what you're in for."

"If I cared what was kosher, I wouldn't have signed onto this crew to begin with," Roy responded from the back, a smile of his own adorned darkly. "Plus, anything that can piss off the establishment is just bonus for me."

"I'm not an enemy of the government, but Ace doesn't deserve to be held prisoner by them," Mary nodded with stern affirmation. "We have to break her out."

"She's not less than human because they made who she is," Annie stated seriously, a gleam in her eyes showed her own hardened resolve. "She's Ace, our friend and the one who brought us together to stop an unspeakable terror from ravaging the Earth. Let's rescue her so we can still save the world."

"I second that," Jesse grinned cheekily with a thumb's up. "Let's go politely kick their butts and tell them sorry for wanting to keep our friend out of their grubby clutches."

"I'll endeavor to not inflict too much bodily harm, should they not hurt our lady Ace," Kid Eternity emphasized with a low growl. "I wouldn't hold back should they lay a finger on her."

"Just try not to release the fire demon indoors, kay?" Jaime pleaded.

"I make no promises, demon!"

"I told you I'm not-ugh! Whatever, _ese_!" The cybernetic warrior dismissed with a growl and a roll of his eyes.

Guided by the movement of the security of the building ensured their travel wasn't wayward. With Tim stopping to listen or halt the sound of their illicit entry it wouldn't take them long to find their friend. Entering a large vaulted room, their ventilation seemed to round the entire perimeter. Now afforded with nearly two dozen armed guards and one annoyed looking burly man in a red-gold containment suit, the simple glass covered isolation chamber looked to be fairly well guarded.

Especially when they didn't carry simple guns, but heavy duty kinetic shotguns, concussion rifles and laser weapons of various but usable kinds.

"Disarming those guys will be chief of our objectives if we are to take them out strategically," Robin murmured, looking over his shoulder at Blue Beetle. "Do you think you can send a frequency to fry their weapons?"

"Uh, I dunno. _Qué piensas_ , Scarab?"

" **It is possible to generate a localized electromagnetic pulse to knock out power to the nearby facility. It would be easier if we simply vaporized them all with a wide dispersed plasma discharge** -"

"Yeah," He nodded with a nod, ignoring the rest of his scarab's advise. "Their weapons are able to be tampered with, though I don't know how that will affect any tech of our own."

"My arm and arrows are shielded from that possibility," Arsenal stated factually in a flat tone. "Do what you need to."

"Mine are as well, so all's good on my mark. Get ready," Robin ordered, his eyes squinting through the cracks of the vents. "Three. Two. One, now!"

In a moment, Blue Beetle charged something into his right arm, making it hum at incredible revolutions. Then, a loud thuum that shook the vents and made the whole of the room shudder knocked the power and fried the weapons all of the guards were carrying. As a result, back-up red lights were turned on and a blaring alarm was sounded in the facility. The security dropped their weapons almost in unison, opting for riot batons kept on their person instead.

Vibrating free of the vent first, Jesse dropped to the ground with a smile on her face. With all eyes on her before any of the others got out of their hiding spot, she cracked her knuckles before any of them could blink; then began to swiftly smash her fist, elbow or boot against her targets. Men were sent screaming or grunted into constipated unconsciousness faster than her teammates could escape the confines of the vent onto the floor.

"By the Void, does thou not wish for us to participate?!" Kid Destiny incredulously shouted at Jesse's speeding blur.

"It'sfineI'mjusttakingcareofthetrashsoyoucanbeallsetto-"

She'd be caught in between rapid word use and disposing of the last of the security by one large red-yellow arm catching her by the head. With the momentum packed with the strength of the outstretched appendage Jesse Quick was sent hurtling onto her back while skidding forward. Tumbling about till she hit the wall, she saw stars while her attacker turned to address the team.

"So, you punks are the ones who Galatea put through the ringer getting headcase over there?" The living energy man inquired rhetorically, nodding in Ace's direction while scowling at them. "Didn't think she had so many kids under her control. No matter. I'm going to put you all out of your misery in a little bit."

"We came of our own free will," Robin declared, withdrawing a small baton that became an elongated quarterstaff. Grasping it with both hands he twirled his weapon and angled it forward with his right leg leaning forward, left bent and resting behind the other. With a steeled glare aimed at the Atomic Man, he cried out. "And we're going to rescue her! Teen Titans, go!"

* * *

 **A/N** : And that's the chapter! Sorry if it wasn't as long as some of you wanted it to be, but I was hitting a rut as to how to make it any longer than this. I promise the next installment will have quite a bit more action. With our mystery man, the Phantom Stranger, revealing himself to Ace what will be the information the psychic will uncover? Can the Teen Titans free Ace from the clutches of Waller's Checkmate agents?

Find out, in the next update of The Mighty Teen Titans!


	6. I Am Free!

_Last time, on the Mighty Teen Titans:_

 _Ace has been captured by Checkmate and placed into an isolated chamber. While Galatea is ordered to recover from her fight, Major Force and a complement of guards take her place in guarding the unconscious psychic. During this event she meets The Phantom Stranger, a mysterious specter in her mind that has clarity on the visions of an impending threat she and her friends have been receiving ominous dreams of surprising clarity._

 _When the Teen Titans arrived, Robin -with the assistance of Blue Beetle- guided them to the source of the most commotion. With Jesse Quick dispatched to deal with most of the immediate guards, the 2nd subject of Project Atom stops the speedster in her tracks. Can the Titans defeat him and free their friend?_

 _Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - I Am Free!**

* * *

Major Force, also known as Clifford Zmeck was a officer of the military who was court martialed for unspeakable actions that were reprehensible and deemed him unfit for service. Originally sentenced to life in prison -barely avoiding the firing squad- the quarantined soldier was given a second chance at life by being subjected to "Project Atom," an experimental project to create America's ultimate super soldier. Nathaniel Adams was its first creation, seemingly at first killing him and not discovered alive till years later. As a precaution, the same material used on the Captain was given to Clifford Zmeck and tripled to ensure his survival.

He too seemingly perished; but fate had other plans for him. Thrust through a quantum field through the elements of the bomb and the material he surrounded himself with, he was thrust into the future with the Captan. Unlike the soon to be christened Captain Atom, he was pushed into a future which was years later than the master of energy and radiation; one week after the battle of Darkseid with the League had commenced.

Recruited by Waller into Checkmate he became arguably one of its most powerful assets. Despite being a strong and talented soldier, his checkered past and disturbed mind made him unsuited for unchecked operations. With a micro-bomb fused into the center of his head that would go off on the director's whim or her untimely demise, he will follow orders regardless of his impulses.

But that didn't mean he couldn't revel in the pain of this brainwashed youths.

He'd laugh at the bravado of this Boy Wonder as he told him that they did this of their own volition. Fools! They didn't understand the world of pain they invited by being cognitive enough to trespass into government proximity. That meant maximum offense, punishable to severe trial; or rightful execution on the spot.

Blue Beetle had formed a pair of crackling maces for hands, throttling towards the Major beyond the perception of the average human. When he made contact, the melee was easily parried and his head grappled with a brawny hand. Thrown around like a crude club, he'd smash into the approaching Robin and Annie, sending them both sprawling across the room full of downed security. Raising him high, he smashed him into the ground with enough force to shudder the entire room.

Raising up in time to catch Mary Marvel's approaching fist, he leered down at her with a disgusting gleam in his eyes, "I don't know what brought you to side with a human weapon, cutie, but I don't really care. Had I been human, I'd savor what kind of bod you have-"

" **SHAZAM!** "

A sudden thunderclap followed by a wave of agony overtook him. What passed as nerves in his synthetic metal shell with energy for internal systems. A momentary lapse of dizziness and shock flowed through him left him vulnerable to the instant follow-up by the young heroes.

A powerful left hook across the jaw made his skull ring by the Marvel woman. The next was a trio of explosive arrows that had enough yield to sting the surface of his torso's shell. Another was an unrelenting run and hit punches from the speedster he had just thrashed a few moments ago.

"I don't get it, Major!" Jesse stopped with a jab to his right kidney, ducking and weaving around his wide arm swipes easily. "You're as strong as Captain Atom, if not moreso. Why didn't you join the League? I'm sure they wouldn't mind having someone as strong as you on their team."

"The Justice League? Please!" He sneered, growing disgusted at the thought. Unleashing a pair of optic blasts containing a burgundy tint of foul energy he'd narrowly miss her head. Leaving the wall scorched and melting, he'd unleash a series of degenerating blasts like fireballs towards the running speedster. "I'm a true patriot! I don't stand above the law, I enforce it; with great prejudice and pride!"

"That's rich," Roy shouted from across the room, firing an arrow that accelerated rapidly and struck the Major in between the eyes with surprising force. "I wonder if you said that line to all of your victims, Major. I wonder how many people believe you're a patriot with the trail of blood and tears in your path."

"Roy Harper, right?" Zmeck inquired with a wry grin. "I wonder if the noble Speedy would ever like his colleagues to know how bloody your ledgers are; or the people you left to die?"

It was the words that ran like daggers across the scarred man's mind. A generation of a twitch that crawled up his spine, coiled around his phantom pain and to the faux digits he now sported. In a blinding flash of light he twisted the arm he held his bow and shot a blast of crimson from his wrist barrel.

When it struck the man, it didn't relieve his anger. Hatred became fear when he saw the light fuse to the outstretched palm of Major Force and made the outside of the atomic warrior glow. Tendrils crackled around him that produce raucous laughter from his throat.

"Xenothium? That was a mistake, Harper!" The Major exclaimed, raising his hand to unleash a sphere of flashing light that shot out in multiple directions. "I may not be able to tap into all forms of energy, but the more unstable elements are my butter and bread. You're all as good as dead!"

A tendril of brown amorphous mass reached out to envelop the upraised limb that produced the hostile energy. This drew Major Force's attention to the unassuming red shirted, black-short wearing girl whose left arm had transmuted into something inhuman. What alarmed him was how it contained the energy he was unleashing, siphoning it through the funnel of mud and giving her a scarlet outline with a chalk white appearance; almost like staring at a stylized model painting instead of a little girl.

"What the Hell are yo-OH!" Major Force gasped as he was rudely cut off by a crater rising Blue Beetle. An outer carapace shell of deep blue formed over his left arm, forming additional armor and intense kinetic disperse upon impact to the atomic man's chin. Still ascending with his jump, his back produced a jetpack that allowed him to jam his transformed right arm's sonic attenae right into his jaw.

Unleashing a deafening boom of sound waves that sent him smashing into the far vaulted chamber's wall.

Spitting out a wad of blood with spit, Jaime let loose a series of obscenities that his friends couldn't understand from his guttural tone. When he caught himself in the middle of his temper, he looked around at some of the surprised members of the team to the incredulously staring Kid Eternity. Sheepishly, he scratched his chin as he lowered himself back to the ground, "Okay, ese, I'm a little bit like diablo when I'm angry."

"HA! Remind me never to catch you on a Monday," Jesse snarked.

"It isn't over yet," Robin noted, having recovered enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Annie's glowing outline -her appearance returning to normal in seconds- with narrowed eyes. "I doubt even if that knocked him out of comission he'd be the last person we have to deal with. Galatea could still be in this complex."

"What's the plan, then?" Roy inquired with a dry tone. "Politely ask them to let us go?"

"No, give me some time to figure out how to get Ace out of there," Robin ordered, nodding towards the only door of the isolated chamber the psychic was held in. "EMP might've fried the electronic lock, meaning I have to find a way into that place without risking harm to her. I doubt the glass isn't rigged or made of some special property to hold someone like her, so the door's the most viable option."

"I'll provide you cover, whatever that's worth," The archer offered.

"Good. Annie, I may need your shapeshifting abilities to help me get past the door. Think you're up for it?"

"Y-Yeah. I-I think I'm getting the hang of this," She agreed with only a slight hesitation, affirming her place at Robin's side.

"I shall summon a guardian should the others fail. Due to the limits of my power I shall do it only when our fellows have run their course," Kid Eternity told them frankly, his eyes glowing blue with his fingertips lit ablaze of cyan hue. "But I shall give you all some protection against this Major's powers should your own strength fail. **sselesnefed eht rof dleihs etamitlu na nommus I!** "

In a few seconds, a circle of blue ran along his feet before ballooning out to lapse over each member of the team. It was a warm sensation, like feeling a Summer's breeze, but vanished as quickly as it was felt. After a quick observation, Kid Eternity followed Annie and Robin with Roy keeping a look out for their backs.

This left Mary, Jaime and Jesse to deal with an angry Major Force, now pried free of the web-cracked wall.

Noticing that a good number of the kids had broken away from the powerhouses brought a smile to his face. It didn't matter what they were going to try with the weapon's prison, Waller made that to specially house the psychic. He just had three people to deal with rather than all seven of them.

"I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should," He cackled, his hands coalescing in a burgundy hue of twisted light that framed his grin in a menacing manner. "You are going to be a lot of fun to break!"

"Bring it!" Jesse beckoned with both hands curled towards him.

Zmeck didn't delay. Approaching them with his body now wreathed in his own energy, he body slammed into their vicinity. The effect sent them scattered, a dark red light overlapping the trio from his brazen assault. Amidst the steaming ground zero, Major Force raised his arm and formed what looked like a triple-barreled chain gun, shooting hundreds of smaller rounds of the same disastrous light he had discharged just now.

Mary Marvel crossed her arms in front of her face, employing the Power of Zeus to shield her combined with the Strength of Hercules. They stung something fierce but would do no lasting damage. Blue Beetle had made a tactical leap over the gunfire, unleashing a harry of plasma bolts from his left transformed hand while mixing it with sonic fire. The combination made the Major grimace but do little to halt his fire; rather he elongated his arm that grew to a frightening size akin to a titan's, nearly smashing him into the ceiling as he barrel rolled in the air.

Just long enough to be struck in the chest by irradiated optic beams that sent him tumbling onto the floor.

Throughout the distraction, the rapidly evading Jesse Quick managed to get behind the atomic man. Grasping him around the waist he was swung around like a top, hurtled towards Mary who kicked off the ground and delivered a thunderclapping left hook to his face. Finishing it with a bolt of magical energy, he was sent tumbling head over heels before willing himself to stop and belch out a wave of dark matter.

"This guy sure can take a beating!" Mary cried out, swiftly retreating to the back of the room to avoid the dangerous fumes and flames.

"Can't seem to make it stick, no matter how many times I hit him!" Jesse also commented, skidding to a halt next to her teammate with a furrowed brow. "Physical attacks do nothing. Magic pisses him off. Sound stuns him, but not for long. What can we do to stop him?"

"Ugh, I'm fine by the way," Jaime responded with a shake of his head, feeling a throb consistent with the points of impact the brute had struck. "Scarab, please tell me you've been scanning this cabrón."

" **I have, Jaime Reyes. His exterior is composited of an unknown substance that is woven in a way that makes any damage superficial. Through analysis of what lay beyond his suit, I discover that reservoir of power is created through a continuous atomic fusion with individual cells. In order to subdue him, one must find an entry point and apply a segment of spectroscopically pure graphitized carbon**."

"Uh-?" Jaime began to inquire, suddenly somersaulting to the side to avoid a flying charge by Major Force. Before he could rear around to hit him again, he instinctively fired a sonic blast with his left hand, aiding Mary Marvel in getting a full nelson from behind. Jesse Quick landed a seismic induced punch to his side, and then to his torso, then a rapid fire to his face; enabling the boy to ask in a hurried voice. "MEANING?!"

" **If we create a weapon out of graphite carbon, bypassing his dermal layers of durable alloy, it should cause a chain reaction and temporarily render him inert** ," The Scarab informed Jaime in a monotone, completely nonplussed at their plight. Jaime felt an automatic transmutation in his suit's right arm, becoming a straight double-edged sword with a particular dark coating wrapped around its surface while its edged in a luminous blue current. " **I've conducted the surface of your 'Razor Appendage' to suit this purpose. Seeing as sonic waves causes him great pain, I've set a vibrational current of plasma to circulate at 1K/R-PS. Though I suggest insertion through an orifice; preferably the eye where the most damage could be dealt!** "

"This isn't going to kill him, is it?" Jaime inquired hesitantly, feeling his insides coil at the thought of taking another life. Even one that may deserve it, he'd rather not break his code for a petty exception.

" **You must not waver, Jaime Reyes. This being only shares brainwaves akin to a human, but does not live as you qualify as a living being. Your code of ethics, infuriating as they are, should not be violated should he be terminated by this tactic** ," The Scarab reassured Jaime, a hint of annoyance laced with his ghostly echo in Jaime's mind.

In the transpiring time, he was physically knocked out of his doubt filled reverie.

The young man looked up in time to see a boot hit his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Bouncing across the room, tumbling over the unconscious bodies of defeated security, Jaime moaned as he pushed himself back to his feet. When he looked up, he heard a sickening smack that sent Jesse embedded into the wall behind the atomic man. What furthered his horror was the sight of Mary being strangled by both hands of the Major, a look of decadent delight as she couldn't break the hold on her.

"I'd ask you to squeal, cutie, but I rather watch your eyes pop out of your skull instead!" Major Force cackled, tightening his hold on her throat. Her face was turning blue, and her legs struck his chest, only making him grunt with slight pain but he pushed it aside as he constricted his digits, pushing her neck further into his unrelenting palms. Eyes began to tear up, roll to the back and saliva ebbed from her mouth, her body convulsing while twitching as her hands loosened against his monsterous limbs. A raucous laugh escaped the energy being as he squeezed tighter, the crinkling of his suit heard louder than her struggling gurgles. "That's it! Let me hear that delicious snap, babe! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Jaime's vision went red. His blood pumped quickly, eyes dilated and the suit harnessed his rising state of anger. Muscles seemed to expand from his otherwise lean figure, the blue glowing prominently over the veined black. Teeth bared, Jaime let out a roar as he kicked off the floor and moved at a rocketing pace that ripped up the reinforced plated surface he stepped upon. Even the bodies of immobile personnel went flying in a sonic produced wind, his figure tackling into the Major's by the side with a lariat.

"ULK!" Zmeck gasped out, his body propelled into the wall with such force that the facility quaked and the structural integrity of the impact was torn like sheets of paper. Pushed through to the other side, he'd tumble over and fall on the ground, his skin wound over with the crumpled metal that was the opposing chamber's shielding.

Eyes widened at the phantom that suddenly stomped onto his chest, his own faux breathing wrenched out from the sheer force placed on his torso. A glowing blade held aloft, teeth gritted with an animal snarl rattling from the boy's throat. The physique he bore now competed with his own and his mind stopped at the sight of the glowing sword for an arm.

One that was shoved straight into his gaping mouth without mercy.

"Forgive me if this kills you, Pobre bastardo," Jaime briefly hissed, then howled with the vicious turn of his blade's edge deep in the inorganic being's maw. "Te veré en el infierno!"

If a man composed of quantum entangled fused atoms could scream, the closest to it was felt as much as it was heard. Eyes glowed, mouth spewed burgundy energy and the whole of the bulk of the man vibrated while struggling with extreme spasms. Peaking out with a sudden enveloping pulse that overcast Blue Beetle in its rays, it'd die off in a pitiful puff of grey fumes with the body -suit and all- evaporating into oblivion.

"He's...gone," He breathed out, still wracked with guilt at the actions his emotions had pushed him into doing.

" **Your friends live, Jaime Reyes, and the threat is exterminated. Rejoice while you can, for your aid is still required.** "

"Y-You're right. T-Think positive," Jaime intoned, stopping short as he looked down at himself after hearing his remarkably deeper voice. "What did you do to me?"

" **I modified your body to employ a attribute enhancement injection, using your adrenaline as a catalyst to trigger it. Think of this, in your crude human terms, as a _berserker mode_. I warn you that it will only last for a short while longer and extreme exhaustion will follow in its aftermath.** "

"Historia de mi vida," He mumbled to himself with a sigh, walking back into the other room.

And given what he saw, he knew he'd need every bit of strength he had at his disposal.

* * *

Galatea could feel it, long before the alarms blared. Annoyance quickly swept her whole being, her legs crossed in a meditative posture as she hovered in the air of the wide training room. She had basked in the solar lamps for a good hour or so -she hadn't counted- as she stewed in her anger. The facility's intrusion couldn't have come at a better time, in her mind.

Not dropping to the floor, she flew at breakneck speed through the door, barely avoiding plowing through it with her own immense velocity flight. In a silver blur, the battle-worn costume fluttered at the seams, showing she hadn't bothered changing before she was ordered to stand down. Well, now where was the rest of the facility without her?

She passed by Rick Flagg, outfitted in a ridiculous blue-white military uniform that looked so weak compared to a power suit or genuine battle armor. Knowing that Task Force X would take time to assemble, she knew this could only be settled by her hands. What bothered her is the inevitable knowledge of who it was, not the 'maybe' but a definite.

It wasn't possible, was it? She had put them into the dirt, and left them to bleed out cold. There was no way that they were...

"Aw crap," Arsenal intoned, his eyes narrowed and his bow drawn taut just in time to see the blonde haired angel of battle appear beyond the chamber's doorway. Firing the missile, he saw her vaporize it with heat vision, stepping daintily over the groaning bodies of the downed security. Admiring the wreckage around her, she grinned at the void where Major Force used to be.

"So, you actually got to him? That good-for-nothing convict finally put down. And here he thought he was untouchable," Galatea laughed, outright clapping slowly to those present. It didn't stop Robin and Annie, regardless of their presently unnerved states of mind, from working on the door's lock. Only Arsenal and Kid Eternity stepped forth, ready for the inevitable confrontation; a sight that made her sneer and her smile thin. "Then again, I had thought I was invincible in comparison to you lot. Yet here you are, barely hours later and back for more. I'd ask who your miracle doctor was, but it hardly matters now. I'm going to put you all in stretchers, and this time, I'll schedule your doctor appointments myself!"

"Witch!" Kid Eternity proclaimed boldly, surprising all those present -even the recovering Mary Marvel and Jesse Quick turned their heads with surprise-. Jabbing a finger at him, he eloquently spouted angrily in a way only he could express. "You are the she-devil who harmed my colleagues and kidnapped fair Ace! I shall repay you the favor thrice, nay, ten times the pain with a well deserved reckoning!"

"That's...a first," The blonde blinked, arching her neck with confusion rather than be insulted by such wordage. "Who are you?"

Leaning back with a recoiling gesture the team assumed was shock, the young man shook a fist towards the ceiling, "How is it that fate taunts me with such woeful ignorance of my name?! Well, in that case, I shall ensure that it will not be forgotten; by you or anyone!"

Swishing his right foot's toe in a perfect circle, bending his left knee and clapping his hands together, his whole body became enamored in a majestic blue and white light. Arcane runes filled spaces between the borders of a circle, with the center being a myriad of stars aligned and gathered to a shape that of the infinity symbol. Eyes opened behind his red shades, revealing a pupil-less glow of snow hue, his voice becoming a hallowed timbre as his body's aura created an unsettling pressure that could be felt for miles.

" **I have been touched by the Source to ferret out those of the** _ **Beyond**_ **, no matter their origin and strength. I am the anchor that brings them forth, chained to my will and obedient to my whim. For a breadth I beckon and for a breadth thy flee, all that is and shall be eternal. Now come forth, for my name is** ," He proclaimed loudly, his magical energy shooting upward to pass through the barrier of Checkmate's headquarter ceiling to the sky above, netting together dark clouds from the ether and thrusting an energy of equal potency into the presence of those in the room's confines; all happening when he shouted his own name. " **KID ETERNITY**!"

From the billowing smoke came an acrid stench. Emerald vapors ebbed into the atmosphere, hollowed eyes etched into it and becoming a spectral face of grimace. A cloak of crimson formulated from the foreboding darkness, wrapping into a high-collar around the column of fog, revealing a physical form. A white divide pattern formed over a masked visage, muscles taut around impossibly defined fabric hugging a masculine physique that hid scars formed eons ago. Chains slid around the air like serpents, coiled beneath the cloak into an ether no mortal could comprehend.

And with a hallowed voice, it declared its presence to a stunned Galatea, with eyes aflame of ectoplasmic energy burning bright, " _ **I am Spawn, and I have heard your command. Until the allotted time I shall vanquish your enemies and protect your company. This contract is in effect...NOW!**_ "

The attack came for her like lightning. Chains struck with serpentine grace, whipping her across the face, shoulder and side all at once. Bowing from the impact they'd twine around her limbs and thrash her against the floor several times. Pulled back towards the originator, she'd receive a brutal punch into the abdomen, ushering blood from her mouth. The next punch struck her across the jaw, sending her flying across the room to hit the wall with the chains keeping her in place.

"W-What is it am I seeing?" Jesse asked, limping over to help Mary to her feet, the latter of which continued to rub her bruised throat with a visible grimace.

"I-It's a dark spirit. Not of this world, but not completely corrupted, regardless of his aura's malevolence," Mary explained, her eyes looking warily at the specter stoically carrying out the whim of the now dimmed Kid Eternity. Narrowing her eyes at the young man's back, she scowled between the pair and hissed in a hushed voice. "Why haven't I heard of someone with this kind of ability? In the magic circle he'd be a contender for even Zatanna in terms of capability."

"I'm just glad you're on our side," Arsenal remarked, looking back at Robin and Annie gawk at the handiwork of the infernal being. Snapping his fingers, he reminded the pair they were on a timetable and went back to work of attempting to get past the door's security. Turning to look back with a glare at Galatea, he had a feeling this was far from over. "Let's hope your spirit can put her out of commission."

"Aye. In another plane Spawn is a legendary figure and capable of harnessing tremendous power at a price. But at the end of the day, he desires justice, just as thou do," Kid Eternity debriefed with a cooler voice than before. A smile etched onto his face, complemented by arms crossed over his chest as he saw Spawn withdraw what looked like a massive hand cannon to aim at the pinned Argonian. "And he'll carry it out, at my wish."

With a pull of a trigger, a memory of pain flashed before the clone's eyes. She saw a tank, needles inserting all over her, letting loose a scream within. Blasts of various types long since healed from the excruciating training she underwent through the forced age progression. In every step of the way she was given cold numbers and looks of callousness to disdain; only her 'father' looked to her with any form of compassion.

* * *

" _Father?_ "

" _Yes, my dear?_ "

" _The scientists gave me a label, Project A-1. But you gave me a name. What does the name, 'Galatea' mean?_ "

" _Oh, that's right, you never heard of the story of Pygmillion and Galatea. Then again, I'm not sure if you were ever even given a book. Would you like a few to choose from?_ "

" _Waller says that reading is a waste of my special talents_."

" _Well...I think she understands you're gifted in a certain way that is not in your genes. If you act outside that way, you may become something you're not. And that could be bad_."

" _What's wrong with being different than I am?_ "

" _Because, Galatea, you're meant to fulfill a singular purpose. Going against Eternity is, well, like a slave disobeying a master. There's no happy ending in that theoretical 'greener field' for you, and I am sorry if that disappoints you_."

"... _am I Waller's slave? Am I your slave?_ "

" _You are the closest thing I'll ever have to a daughter and I will always love you, no matter what action -good or ill- you make. But because I love you, I will be honest. There's no good in changing what you are; even if that means being a slave to Cadmus_."

* * *

"NO!" She shouted, her mind reeled and her reflexes kicked into high gear. Before her words even were heard, optic beams shrieked into the ectoplasmic discharge. A brief clash was showcased, making all the Titans look away save for the summoned Spawn. In the ensuing seconds, it soon was erased and the white-clothed clone ripped herself from the wall, wrenching the chains free of her appendages with a shattering impact against her body. "YOU WILL NOT HOLD ME! NO ONE CAN!"

"...that's not good!" Robin exclaimed in a horrified squeak.

"We have to get Ace out and awake!" Annie shouted, transmuting her arms into crowbars in an act of desperation to pry it open. "Now!"

"Have no fear," Kid Eternity assured them with a wave of both arms. "Spawn will not be beaten so easily. Observe!"

As if on cue, the summoned spirit twisted on its heel and avoided a charging Galatea's two-armed lunge. Turning to strike him with a raised fist an explosion of pain followed by the air parting and released in a loud thuum that sent her crashing into the wall above the doorway entry she came from. She clawed at the walling next to her, narrowly avoiding an acrid douse of necroplasm; in turn ripping the metal shielding to create a makeshift shield for the magic-based shots from his weapon.

" _ **You cannot escape me!**_ " Spawn snarled, his body shifting into green vapors that returned to physical being up near the ceiling. Drawing back the fabric of his cloak, he revealed dozens of firearms of automatic variety, then unleashing a salvo of fiery emerald discharges at her person. The result of his assault annihilated the shielding, the wall and a good chunk of the headquarters through two dozen square meters of reinforced infrastructure above the heads of terrified personnel.

Much to his surprise, she appeared to be a transparent blurred form that raced towards him. Even as he raised chains to deflect her, she passed straight through them and rammed her vibrating right hand into his chest. Returning to normalcy, her hand grabbed Spawn's heart and tore it from his chest in a gory display of surprising power.

One only out-down by the sight of the beating organ transforming into an explosive that burned her right arm and part of her shoulder. Shrieking with reeling surprise, she witnessed his chest seal up with an automatic efficiency, revealing his regen factor to her. The sudden impact of the fabric over the head in the shape of a hammer rendered her stunned, followed up with an instantaneous appearance of her enemy pinning her to the earth with his boot on her head.

" _ **I am feeding off the evil seeped into your soul: Your delight in carnage, your animosity towards humans, and the rage, burning brighter than the Sun!**_ " He proclaimed with a low timbre. His costume's mouth parting in a vein-stretched image of grotesque muscle-like display. With the opened maw, it bellowed out a significant stream of flames to wrap over Galatea's body, save for the head. " _ **I will eradicate you before you claim another life!**_ "

A crushing grip placed around his ankle made him recoil. Despite being set ablaze by Hell fire, she had moved in a decisive moment after being ignited. Lifted off his feet, he'd be sent hurtling with enough force to crack the prison itself. The shockwave was enough to make those standing close to the doorway fly back, following her fiery form to bombard him with punches, knee kicks and rays of heat vision on his person.

"Look in the mirror, demon!" She shouted back, rearing back a powerful right hook that catapulted him straight through the prison with a super-heated wave back in Blue Beetle's direction. Just as the Scarab fused boy reflexively flinched at being hit, a wave of cold swept over him and he disappeared in a dissipating fog. Blinking at the happenstance, she wondered if she killed him; a turn to look at the conjurer and it confirmed something to the effect transpired.

"You're next!"

Just as she shouted, launching herself towards the stunned Kid Eternity, was intercepted by a blue-black bulk. Pushing past the pain of her scorched body she'd charge straight for him with every intent of terminating him. A sudden weight pushed her into the ground with a loud boom, making her grunt and growl as the muscle-bound Blue Beetle tried to keep her pinned.

"Calm down, ese! We just want our friend, so just let us go-!"

"Like I care!" Galatea snarled, twisting her head to spray optic beams straight into Beetle's face. With Jaime recoiling from the blast, she wrenched herself off the floor and delivered a left hook to his jaw. A countering kick to her gut lifted her from the floor, but the Argonian Clone adapted and used her momentum to flip forward over his head to land a double kick to his skull. Stopping short of the floor, she flew in a blur tackle the blue black armored enemy-

-intercepted instantly by a shoulder of Jesse Quick, ramming straight into her side.

Consequently she tumbled from the impact and skid towards the wall smashed superwoman, giving her a clear target. A flash of magic hit Galatea's nearly exposed bosom, furthering her rage and pain. Looking up to see Mary Marvel's arm still crackling with ether currents drove her to a peak of outrage.

"One after the other," The Superwoman sneered, charging forward and receiving a wave of painful sonics from the previously downed Blue Beetle. Turning, she'd get struck by another bolt of lightning that ushered a hoarse shriek. Both seemed to come at varying intervals, continuously making her turn which way and the other. "Why won't you people just stay down!"

A shrill whine filled the air, following a coalescing pair of beams barreling towards her. From one it was the cannon-shaped arm that Annie formed, using the energy she had robbed from Major Force from before. The other was Arsenal with his own right arm firing a much stronger beam from the center of his palm. The two converged into each other, forcing Galatea to fire a powerful optic wave to hold them at bay.

In seconds, the naturally unstable energy became volatile and detonated at point blank, shocking the Clone to bounce off the wall. Stumbling forward, she gawked and spat out ichor while the heroes capitalized on the opportunity.

Robin, while carrying Ace over one shoulder, let loose five explosive batarangs that furthered the disorientation of their opponent. Jesse Quick rushed quickly to punch twelve times in the gut and finish with a jumping uppercut that sent her crashing into the ceiling. Arsenal and Blue Beetle converged with plasma fire combined destructive arrows, pushing her further up the complex. Mary Marvel instantly appeared below Galatea, punching her strong enough to rip a hole in the structure's top and sent her into the skies.

Then, with her voice returned, she aimed her hand to the directly above Argonian and shouted loudly.

" **SHAZAM!** "

With the tumultuous heavens called from Kid Eternity filled with innate magic, the Power of Zeus was magnified and thrashed the burned, bleeding and nearly unconscious Galatea towards the complex. But she didn't hit the ground. Despite the engagement they had, her inert form bounced on a safety net crafted of well-coordinated shots of Xenothium and Annie's own malleable arms.

"Why doth save the She-Devil?" Kid Eternity inquired, almost looking with disgust at her tenacity to survive what she did. "Were we not justified in destroying her, like the brute?"

"Ese, I don't know what your deal is, but heroes don't kill," Blue Beetle stated with a stern tone, waving his hand with a glare aimed at him. "Not if we have the choice to save a life."

"Ah, the disillusionment of the paragon. Such a thing doesn't exist; not with enemies like her," Kid Eternity scoffed, waving his hand towards the heavily injured clone. "You heard Spawn. She is a walking dealer of death. She'll kill again, if not us then someone else, all for the whims of this shadow. Better to relieve her of her misery then live to risk our lives in another encounter again."

"Kid," Roy lowered his voice, looking at him with an even stare that almost looked empathetic. "I get it, I do. But we can't waste time on this. Once Checkmate reorganizes, it will come after us with even more men, guns and meta-humans to spare. I doubt these two were the only ones on their payroll."

"With the shape we're in, I doubt any of us can run out of here on Jesse's back," Robin half-joked, stepping up next to Annie as the latter gently let Galatea down to rest among the rubble. Turning to look around, he asked hopefully. "Unless you guys want the League breathing down our necks, I'm fresh on ideas of us getting out of here intact."

The silence was fairly palpable. Jaime Reyes could already feel his own body begin to -for lack of a better term- 'deflate' from his Scarab enhancement. Returning down to the fairly lithe, muscle tone he possessed he felt a wave of exhaustion overwhelm him. He had to lean on the speedster for support, looking around through his yellow lenses with desperation.

Was this the end? Were they going to be captured here, studied and turned into puppet soldiers of this organization? He didn't imagine his life had changed so drastically in the past several months since the merger he had with the Scarab in El Paso. His parents, his posse, he knew they must be worried sick about him.

" **Jaime Reyes. If you wish to escape, I will take command and make a tactical retreat to avoid further complications**."

"Thanks, but I don't want to abandon these guys," He answered in a frank tone.

"Aw, that's sweet," Jesse mentioned with a grin; which then turned into a frown as she asked. "Wait, were you just thinking of ditching us?"

"Not me, the Scarab Estúpido," Jaime explained with a sigh. "He's an AI, so he thinks of things in logical, cold calculations. If he wasn't stuck with me, he probably could've caused a lot of damage but justified it all and blasted off into whatever dimension he came from."

"That's it!" Mary palmed an open fist with a wide smile. "I'll take you _there_!"

"Where?" Roy asked with a tilt of his head.

"The Rock of Eternity!" She explained hurriedly, hands gesturing for emphasis. "It's the place where Billy and I are connected to Shazam's power. We can travel freely there, and I can take anyone within my proximity!"

"Is that wise? Surely that's a sacred place-"

"Kid, we don't have time for this!" Jesse barked with annoyance.

"How does this work?" Robin queried with a set of blinks.

"Just stand in a circle," Mary reaching a hand out for them to grasp.

The sound of rushing boots of bold security made the decision for them. Roy grabbed Mary's hand, following with his left with Jaime and he to Jesse. The chain went around till Kid was holding Mary and Robin's hands. By the time the men entered, Mary only had to say one word before they could finish theirs.

"Freez-"

"SHAZAM!" In a bolt of lightning, they disappeared from sight and left in a booming clap of thunder.

With the troopers stunned, they looked around flabbergasted at their act of teleportation. What was even more stunning was the sprawled form of Galatea, who was at the apex of the magic circle. Whether it was an act of altruism or unintentionally slipped their minds, the magic of Shazam had restored her vitality completely. The fabric of her costume was even mended, thankfully avoiding a needless case of shame in front of the others of Checkmate.

"What the Hell is going on in here?!" Waller's voice shouted out loud, making all of the men stand to attention while she strut in. Her eyes showed nothing but daggers, and if she could, fumes certainly would be pouring out of her orifices. Seeing a waking Galatea trying to shake sense into her head, Waller put her hands on her hips and focused her hawk's stare at her chiefly. "Explain to me how you were beaten, Galatea, when you previously assured me that you were the victor?"

"I...lost?" She asked, blinking as recollection came to her slowly. The fierce fight, a summoned spirit, and the like. Her eyes glowed crimson and she stood upright. Her inability to feel pain was more than likely the work of their 'miracle recovery' they pulled earlier, but now spared it on her. Feeling humiliated and enraged all at once, she looked at Waller with an equally wrathful stare. "I'll get them back for this!"

"And leave more collateral damage in your wake? I don't think I can handle the scale of conflict that you keep bringing up," She huffed, crossing her arms and raising her left brow to express her disbelief. "Exactly what will you do different? Orbital drop them with a meteor? Blow a hurricane their way? Honestly, I thought you developed an ample amount of professionalism by you retrieving Ace but now-!"

Waller was abruptly cut off when Galatea grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Clicks and shuffling of nervous feet by the Checkmate personnel -with the adamantly silent Rick Flagg keeping them from firing unnecessarily- were lost to the both of them. It was painfully clear the only thing that kept the clone in check was the bomb placed inside of her head.

But at the moment, Amanda wondered if that would stop her if she was pushed too far.

"I'm not your slave, Waller," She quietly whispered, her tone sounding more dangerous than if she was shouting. "I know I was made by Cadmus for Cadmus. But this isn't Cadmus, is it? My purpose is just to be an asset to your new gig, with the bigwigs keeping all of their eyes on you. Imagine what would happen if that little psychic went out there and annihilated a whole city because of her unstable psyche. Will that be my fault, or yours? No dead man switch could switch the blame on a violent clone like me when you refused to use your best asset."

Dropping her, the rotund woman fell to the floor and gasped for air. Coughing as she rubbed her neck, a pair of men lifted her up to stand upright again. Looking at her with a knowing gaze, she cleared her throat as she raised a finger towards her, "The Brass gave me two missions. I will divulge information about both to you, but you will only fulfill one, and you will do it otherwise I will push that trigger now. Do we understand each other, Galatea?"

The image of chains wrapped around her conjured to the forefront of her mind. The Superwoman knew this person was the thing keeping her from freedom, but was also the person who could set her free. Dimming her red eyes to the shimmering blue, she smiled -almost too pleasantly- and put her hands on her hips while jutting her partially revealed chest towards her. "Crystal clear, Director Waller."

" _I will be free of your control, Waller_ ," She thought as Amanda began to debrief the scheming blonde clone. " _And you will be the first I will erase from this world. I promise you that_."

* * *

 **A/N:** Wow, this was a dark chapter. Pardon me if this was done with a lot of extreme but I felt like if I held back, I'd be doing this series a disservice. Most of the point is really to emphasize the level of threat given at the time and how hard our heroes have to fight. Shifting the main perspective to the villains, I also wanted to get inside of their heads so you readers could understand them a bit better; for better or worse.

With Mary Marvel making the spectacular escape with all Titans accounted for, Amanda was given a top tier pair of orders. What are they, and what mission will Galatea carry out; that is, if she intends to follow it to the letter? And who is the threat that was revealed to Ace that will cause this terrible future?

Find out, in the next update of the Mighty Teen Titans!


	7. The King of Darkness

_Last time, on the Mighty Teen Titans:_

 _Through a hard fought battle between the Teen Titans and Major Force, they secured victory for but a moment. When Galatea arrived before others of Checkmate, their fight became escalated due to Kid Eternity's initiative to proclaim his name and summon a powerful dark spirit from another world; Spawn. With his power they manage to greatly injure and tax the Argonian Clone, making a combined effort to best her in combat, leaving her unconscious as they left her -albeit unknowingly- healed and restored._

 _Swearing revenge and her impulse for freedom becoming even greater, the wary Checkmate Director Amanda Waller gives her a task of the two assigned from her superiors. What are these missions? And what will the Titans discover when Ace awakens? Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - The King of Darkness**

* * *

The Rock of Eternity.

It felt like ages since Mary had come here. The last time she did, Billy revealed his secret identity as Captain Marvel and conduit of the 6 deities which made up his power. After conversing with the spectral essence of the deceased wizard, Shazam, she had swore an oath and became the second to bear the name "Marvel" as Mary Marvel. Sharing equal power with her sibling, the two became Earth's mightiest mortals of humanity and upheld their duty to protect the world from both the natural and the supernatural.

Given the case she has to deal with, she knew that this qualified as "supernatural". Bringing them here was about as much out of desperation as it was to help piece together more information about their threat. Checkmate wasn't their real enemy, just a distraction. No, it was this thing that three of them have dreamed of so far. Who knows when the next of them dreamt of a horrific prophesy of the world turned to ash and bodies becoming forever burned in black flames?

The arrival was instantaneous, but her mind had still reeled to process all of the information that she had went through. From a mysterious psychic asking for her help to fighting a crazed Supergirl clone and then nearly being strangled by a Captain Atom duplicate she knew the hard part was just beginning. With a bit of reprieve now, she let out a sigh of relief while everyone else basked and gawked at their surroundings.

"Whoa!" Robin balked, rearing back with Ace still slumped over his shoulder. The whole of the interior was vaulted, reaching high enough that he swore a star was providing illumination from up on high. Shadows were cast down all around them, a hall leading to a stone staircase to an empty throne with one side holding a number of grotesque shaped statues. The unknown text translated before his eyes in a blink, giving him the exact titles he could recognize. "Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath, and Envy. The Seven Deadly Sins. Huh, that's not foreboding at all."

"Hath ye no dignity?" Kid Eternity sternly rebuked, his own amazement shown in the way he looked around with amazement and reverence. "We're in a sacred place; one of which I shant believe my eyes I preside in as of this hour. One could only call it truly fate that we all are able to see such splendor."

"Eh, kind of reminds me of a cave. Sure Batman isn't lurking around?"

"Don't joke like that," Robin half-joked back at Arsenal.

"HATH YE NO SHAME?!"

"We get it, Kid, we do. Big mystic mumbo jumbo," Jesse rolled her eyes and waved her hands nonchalantly. Scooting over to Mary, she leaned over to whisper with inquiry as she looked around in a spastic fashion. "So, where the heck are we, magic guide girl of mine?"

"This," She gestured, walking forward ahead of the group before turning on one heel to present it with both arms in a presenting fashion. "Is the Rock of Eternity. It is said that is the conduit of all magic here on Earth, though how true that is anybody's guess. Let's just say that it's probably the chief of all magic sites you'd find in the world and only I or my brother can access it freely. No witch or sorcerer could penetrate this place, even if they wanted to, so we are safe here."

"Good, cause I could use a place to crash," Jaime retorted, falling on his haunches on the stone floor. His Scarab collapsed the armor, revealing his simple worn jeans and hoodie, enabling him to rest without encumberence as he laid prone on his backside. "Do you got any beds here, or is the stone floor as good as it'll get? Cause at this moment, I'm not picky."

"Is Ace okay?" Annie interjected, her eyes staring at Ace with a worried expression. "She's been staring at nothing for awhile now. Did they hurt her?"

"I don't think so," Robin mumbled, furrowing his brows as he looked over his shoulder at her. "She's breathing; slowly, but steadily. She must have put herself into some kind of trance, right before Galatea showed up. I wonder if she's still figuring things out from the dreams we had."

"The fact our battle hadn't jolted her is a bit scary," Arsenal grimaced.

"Is there any way to snap her out of it?"

"I'm sure the Wizard can help with that," Mary informed Jesse with an assured smile.

"Wizard?" Jaime inquired with a raise of his head.

"Sh-er-you know, the guy I call upon to rain a lightning bolt from the sky no matter where I am? That Wizard," Mary Marvel explained, sheepishly avoiding saying his name less she be transformed inexplicably. "Just follow me and I'll light the sigil."

Much to Blue Beetle's dismay, he had to rise up to his feet while the rest of the Titans followed with much curiosity. She'd lead them down the long hall, around the throne and behind it to a ceremonial rune laden wall. There a pair of candles were affixed to hanging urns. Raising her hand up, she ignited them with a spark of her own magic, breathing a gaseous vapor that swirled about and lit the wall with golden lettering.

And with a hallowed reverberation, a voice pounded the air while a ghostly avatar emerged; one with a flowing beard as long as his hair, wrinkles depicting his age as he was alive and a aura belonging to only the strongest magician of the world. "I AM SHAZAM, THE WIZARD OF ETERNITY AND GUARDIAN OF THIS SACRED PLACE! TO WHOM DO I OWE THIS AWAKENING TO?"

"Uh, hi," Mary meekly waved a hand nervously, not realizing how all had either recoiled out of surprise and fear or bowed their heads with trepidation. "I kind of need your help waking up my friend. You see, she put herself in what we think is a trance, but she won't return to us. Can you tell us why and see if you can undo what was done?"

For a few moments, the Wizard creased his brows and stared his glowing eyes towards the girl in question. Robin carried her forth bridal style, allowing her placid gaze to be seen by the ethereal being. Stroking his beard, he closed his eyes and grunted. Nodding his head, he waved his hand and sent a spark of static that crackled around her person.

"SHE HAD AN UNINVITED GUEST; AN OLD FRIEND, SO TO SPEAK," He answered with a thuum, his eyes looking towards the girl, her body ebbing a sulfurous smoke that swirled and culminated into a twisting column besides the group. Despite Roy and Jesse's reflexes, the person who emerged didn't look hostile. Rather, it looked like a normal man, complete with a dark blue overcoat worn over a two-piece suit with black tie, shoes and gloves, his own fedora covering his upper visage of his fair complexioned face. "PHANTOM STRANGER! WHY DID YOU TRANSGRESS THIS YOUTH'S MIND?"

"We were having a chat," Phantom replied with a nod to Ace, her eyes blearily blinking and assessing her surroundings. "Wasn't that right, Ace?"

"Uh...yes. We were, discussing my friends and I's visions. And how they are linked to a Lord of Chaos," She shuddered, looking at Robin as he set her down to her feet, everyone present with a horrified expression plastered over her visage. "Jadow, the King of Darkness."

It was just a name, none that they knew of, but from her reaction they knew instantly it wasn't a joke. For confirmation, Kid Eternity gasped and took a few steps back before falling to his knees. Clenching his head he looked panicked, and his eyes began to erratically dart across the ground.

"Hath ye told lies?! Thou cannot be speaking the truth! Such a monster was broken, locked away! How can this be?!"

"Kid! Calm down," Robin ordered, his own expression now turned serious. "We can't afford to lose our cool when we're just given a name. More importantly, how do you know that name?"

"It is because he is connected to the Rock of Eternity," The Phantom Stranger answered for him, inclining his head to the Wizard. "He's an avatar, isn't he? One of your doing?"

"NOT I, PHANTOM. HE HAS BEEN BORN AS A LIVING PORTAL; A GATEWAY TO THE WORLD BEYOND AND MORE BEYOND MY SIGHT. HIS CONNECTION TO THE ROCK IS UNCLEAR AND HE IS AN ANOMALY," The Wizard boisteriously denied, looking to Kid Eternity with a scowl. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME, CHILD OF MAGIC?"

"I...I heard voices, speaking to me of a perilous threat that drew near. Then, I hath a nightmare, a vision of people becoming possessed by some legion of demons," The Conjurer admitted, shakily but still concise enough to be understood. Looking at Jaime, much to the latter's regret, he turned his head away and muttered under his breath. "Thou called 'Blue Beetle' was among those touched by dark forces of this Jadow. I know not his origin, unfortunately, but I've come to understand he was done away with eons ago."

"You cannot contain a Lord of Chaos forever. Merely delay an inevitable return," Phantom Stranger corrected, turning his gaze to the Wizard and back to Ace. "Not even Klarion the Witch Boy could be imprisoned by Etrigan forever. No doubt he's loose and causing mischief. But he truly is a child compared to the horrors that Jadow wreaked; he at one point held the whole Universe in his palm, something only Trigon the Terrible can boast."

"JADOW IS THE RAGNAROK BEAST. A BEING WHO WAS BORN FROM THE DARKNESS OF CREATION, LORD OF EVIL AND SADIST OF ALL FORM OF MORTAL ANGUISH AND SUFFERING. HE CAN TURN THE RIGHTEOUS TO BECOME SELFISH, THE WHOLESOME TO WICKEDNESS AND DEFENDERS TO MURDERERS. BUT ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS HE IS A DEVOURER OF DECADENCE, CORRUPTING THOSE HE WISHES SO HE CAN FEED OFF OF THEM FOR AN ETERNITY. DEATH IS A MERCY AT THE HANDS OF SOMETHING LIKE HIM," The Wizard echoed in warning, his hand waving to show a still image of the being in question. Much like the frightening visage in Ace's mind, the long-haired being was wreathed in a cloak of animated shadows with eyes of blood colored flames and an undistinguishable face. Clawed hands reached out to hold the ashes of trillions, a white feral grin spread maliciously across his visage, giving him a truly terrifying expression. "HOWEVER, MY PREDECESSOR, NABU AND THE STRONGEST OF US ALL THE SPECTRE DID BATTLE WITH HIM IN A DECISIVE WAR FOR THE SOUL OF THE COSMOS."

The sight that was revealed was an impressive. A golden haired man robed in white, a topless man with a humble tunic and sandles, and a dark green cloaked being with chalk white skin soared like stars towards a galaxy sized Jadow. With stars swirling within his skin, his eyes released planets of burning bolts while billions of wraiths shrieked from his skin like homing missiles. The previous Wizard unleashed a wave of light that forestalled the wraiths, Nabu formed a sigil that formed planet bursting beams that shot back at Jadow's attacks. All the while giving the Spectre the opening to swell in size, landing a uppercut to Jadow's galaxy sized chin as he matched his sheer mass with his own Eldritch transformation.

As they locked hands, eyes burning with cosmic blasts, the other two magicians began landing blows hard enough for the embodiment of God's Vengeance to hurl him across an endless array of light masses that erupted and then became dim. With a swirling arrival that pummeled Jadow down, up and tossed aside, he was finally set back when the Ragnarok Beast bellowed a wave of abysmal violet shadow at his chest. When he tried to strangle and claw at the Spectre, did he notice too late that he couldn't reach him.

"WHILE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STAR SYSTEMS WERE DESTROYED IN THE COLLATERAL, THEY WERE ABLE TO BIND HIM WITHIN A MAGIC CIRCLE THAT RESTRICTED HIS MOVEMENT," He further told, a vast array of intricate ancient letterings too advanced for any viewer to decipher. When four massive sigils of Nabu had formulated, compressing it down to the struggling Jadow did he truly begin to diminish in size and strength. Howling his blood red eyes glared daggers at the Spectre, watching as his hands grasped the ball of spectral magic and pushed it in on itself with great effort; before it disappeared in a mighty thundrous burst of evaporating wind. "AND THANKS TO NABU WITH SPECTRE'S STRENGTH, THEY BANISHED HIM INTO A PRISON OF THEIR OWN MAKING. THEY CALL IT THE HALL OF WHITE, A SEAMLESS CELL OF ENDLESS PURITY THAT HOLDS NOT AN IOTA OF DARKNESS AND ILL INTENT WITHIN IT. THERE JADOW'S STRENGTH HAS WANED, HIS FORM DETERIORATING AND HIS INFLUENCE DISSIPATED."

"The only thing that hasn't, however, is his machinations and hunger," Phantom Stranger hissed, his glowing eyes narrowed behind the shadow of his hat's hem. "Jadow may not be able to sway the fabric of Space/Time or even tap into the Universe for sustenance but he is not crippled. He can peer through his cell, like any prisoner, and see the outside. And just like bars of an old jail his prison is starting to wane and the barrier thinning. It is not accident that I sent you visions of this future; it will happen, far sooner than anyone would believe."

For a few moments, the whole of the group grew quiet. The whole visual display was something otherworldly, beyond their usual scope and understanding. Time spent assisting professional archers and crime fighters, helping run a business or being a human weapon didn't compare. It was truly a task that seemed wholly overwhelming.

But one asked the obvious question, and kept his cool despite this information barrage.

"How can he come back?" Roy asked, hand outstretched for emphasis. "No prisoner can free himself, unless the bars were crappy to begin with."

"Astute observation, Roy Harper," Phantom replied, a grin on his face. "Indeed, Jadow needs a means of opening himself from his prison. Though he has far more ease influencing the outside world, he himself cannot do anything directly unless someone from the other side allows his temptations to set hold in their heart and mind."

"A real Lucifer if I heard of any one," Robin snarked, earning a sudden glare from Kid Eternity and Mary. Raising his hands in apology, he cleared his throat and inquired. "So, that means he can summon henchies. But I doubt slaves can just build a machine. This means something more hocus pocus related, right?"

"IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT HE'LL SEARCH FOR SOMETHING AKIN TO YOUR ANOMALY FRIEND," The Wizard affirmed with a steely gaze at Kid. "SOMEONE WITH A TANGIBLE TIE TO AN UNPRECEDENTED REALM OF MAGIC OR IS A PROXY TO SUPERNATURAL BEINGS."

"I already know who he'll go after."

"PHANTOM, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED ABOUT TAMPERING THE FLOW OF TIME AND SPACE. IT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO WILLFULLY INTERFERE!"

"Responding to a crisis and giving helpful visions are far from 'time altering,' old friend," Phantom Strange grinned wryly. Looking at the group, he raised his hand and projected a halo of shimmering static that formed the appearance of a young woman; barely older than Mary herself. With long silvery hair, matched by her own snow colored irises, her pale complexion looked almost marble and sculpted to look to be unlike any ordinary woman. Slender, blossoming, she only wore a simple dress of golden embroidery and black backgrounds that reached her ankles. "This is Pan Dora. She is the prime candidate to become a vessel for Jadow, and bring an end to your world."

"What's so special about her?" Jesse inquired with a tilt her head, scratching the back of her neck with a questioning look. "I mean, other than her name being an obvious allegory to a greek myth."

"Jesse!" Mary hissed.

"What? I had to say it, or everybody would think of it the whole time!" She rebuttled.

"That isn't by accident," Phantom explained, his hands put in his pocket while walking to the right of his static projection of the girl. "See, for awhile, the greek Pantheon has lost favor with the denizens of the world that used to worship and revere them. Now, in order to not be obscured into non-existence, they've utilized living avatars that carry a piece of them to traverse among mankind and interact with them. Doing so enables them to continue being at least somewhat prominent regardless of their now mythological status. Other now defunct pantheons have used this means to continue existing without playing a major role in your modernized Earth.

"She is one of the more potent entities for the upper echelon of gods. Should Jadow gain possession of her body, he'll not only regain his power but become even stronger than he was in his prime. That cannot be allowed to happen."

"Shouldn't we try to keep Jadow from escaping his jail?" Annie asked.

"I'm afraid the two are linked. Should someone he has corrupted find Pan, they'll use her body as a catalyst to open the door to the Hall. When that happens, it will take even less time for Jadow to take possession of her body to replace his own husk of a form. In that way, he'll achieve freedom and become stronger than he was before in one swoop," Phantom Stranger affirmed with an unpocketing of his hand, clenching it before them with crinkling emphasis. "Your task is simply to keep her safe and ward off the evils of Jadow. Once he gets impatient by the lack of results, he'll make a mistake and enable me to find the cracks in his prison. I'll mend the wear and tear, presto, so to speak."

"That sounds far easier than it is, _jefe_ ," Jaime retorted with a wayward turn of his neck. "Just how strong are these enemies that are going after them?"

"Jadow's corruption is unfavorably unpredictable. Whether they become mindless or completely indoctrinated largely depends on the person's own will and soul. Some who resist it will become unwitting pawns. Others with far darker aspects will give in or be completely consumed by their own base desires and become mindless abominations. Be ready for anything," He informed them.

"If you can point us the way, we'll get right on protecting her," Ace flatly stated, resuming her stoic attitude despite the wave of ominous information given to her.

"I shall open a portal and follow behind," Phantom Stranger announced, his hand dispelling the image and opening a circular portal of crisp silvery light. There it opened, right within the outskirts of Athens, Greece. With Robin holding Annie's hand, the pair jumped through and were quickly followed by the others. The only one who trailed behind was Mary, who stared at Shazam and the Phantom with curiosity. Shaking his head, the Stranger beckoned her to leave. "Don't worry, I'll douse the flames like you're supposed to. I just need to finish up talking with my old friend."

"If you say so," Mary turned to look at the Wizard, who gave a conceding nod and smile. Sighing, she leaped through, leaving the pair alone.

"PHANTOM, YOU ARE PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME," The Wizard began with a stern scowl aimed at the long-cloaked man.

"Am I? I wonder if this is all part of some cosmic game that Fate itself is playing with us. That not even 'gods' can tell what awaits our future shows just how vital my so-called interference is at this moment. Should Jadow succeed, there's no telling how little left the Universe there'll be this time; or how many pantheons will remain intact," Phantom replied with a thin-lipped glare. "I know the quandary I'm trespassing has consequences. I'm ready to accept them, should the time arise."

"JUST KNOW I CANNOT SAVE YOU FROM YOURSELF. THERE ARE RULES NOT MEANT TO BE BROKEN, AND YOU ARE WILLING YOURSELF INTO TABOO. REGARDLESS OF YOUR INTERPRETATION, YOUR MERE PRESENCE IS A VIOLATION OF FATE'S WORK IN THIS COSMIC WHEEL OF TIME AND SPACE," The Wizard countered ominously.

"Again, I am prepared for what is to come," The Phantom Stranger turned, walking towards the portal, spotting a faint glance over his shoulder as he willed the flames of the wall to be defused. "But no one is ready for the Hell that Jadow will unleash upon us, should he succeed."

* * *

Things have been quiet on Gotham's end.

Almost too quiet. He had left the majority of patrol work to Tim, what with Barbara studying heavily for her college finals and his own tasks on the Watchtower taking up what time he didn't need to spend mopping up the petty crime Gordon's men could handle well on their own. Most of his biggest rogues were either being properly treated in the new Arkham Asylum, locked up in Belle Reve Penitentiary, or had moved on from that life.

It's almost been maddening with how much work the League demanded him now. J'onn J'onnz's retirement came as a surprise but he was met with welcomed understanding. He had settled down in Hong Kong, helping out in his own way as a Private Eye and is engaged to a lovely woman. But his departure had left them shorthanded on tacticians, so it was either him or Mr. Terrific who had to pick up the slack.

As much as he respected the latter, he could go on far longer without breaks whereas he was simply an athletic normal man. So his long weekends away from Gotham wasn't an accident but a planned excuse to help his colleagues. He trusted a good deal of them with his life, but he trusted his own meticulous nature more.

His need for control was his greatest asset and a clear indicator for the scarred wound in his psyche; not to mention his soul.

"Batman," The Dark Knight heard his symbolic name called out, earning a turn to the left of his head. Seeing it was John Stewart, old friend and founder of the League's earliest incarnation, made him at ease. What amused him was his look of annoyance creased across his brow. "We got an 'applicant'."

"A new recruit for the League? Been getting a lot of those recently," The Great Detective observed aloud, turning from the monitor to see Green Lantern fully; all while keeping his cape wrapped around his burly armored form. "Is this one too wet behind the ears for you?"

"Oh, it's not just that. It came with an _earnest_ recommendation," John empathized the second to last word with a sigh. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he grumbled under his breath something only Batman could hear, but he kept quiet. Looking up, his passively green eyes looked back at the white-cowl orbs of Bruce's. "Booster Gold brought us a candidate."

Batman exhaled with a grunt with his nostrils. It was the only noise he could make, before asking him with a tilt of his head and a raise of one cowl-wrapped brow, "And?"

"He seems to be a bit too _neat_ for my tastes. I dunno, you'd have to see for yourself," Stewart thumbed over his shoulder, grimace fully intact. "I'd personally just say no, but the kid was insistent someone give him a look-over. I just rather not be that guy who seems to be always confused with the Golden Clown of the team."

"Sounds like your problem, John," Batman joked halfheartedly, somehow not cracking a smile despite the tone indicating as such. Looking back at the console, he nodded to John and silently entrusted him to keep watch of the monitor.

With a sleek pace and a determined movement, it didn't take long for him to find the candidate in question, aside the rambunctious time traveler and his valet, the floating golden oval with a curious red digital eye. Seeing the so-called recruit made him realize why it perturbed Stewart so much.

His whole appearance and standing attitude wreaked of 'lawyer', something his own experience and knack for picking subtle details entailed as much. Slick back hair held together by gel, a handsome face chiseled to genetic perfection with a healthy white smile and dark eyes mirroring his own behind the mask. Wearing a two piece grey business suit with a white collar and red tie, the man held a black briefcase in his right hand and outstretched his left to hold Batman's.

But the Dark Knight didn't move a muscle, just simply staring at him with suspicion.

"Hey, Bats! This is the guy I wanted you to meet! I mean," Booster Gold began to explain, making a mocking expression of Stewart with a grim narrowing of his eyes and guttural tone. "Get Batman to do it, cause I don't have patience for this tomfoolery! Can you believe the nerve of that guy?! Anyways, this is-"

"Maxwell Lord, liaison and legal professional for Project Cadmus. Given his plan of employment was cut short when Cadmus was reorganized into a purely Government supervised group, you kept being their legal adviser as part of Checkmate," Batman readily shot off multiple facts of Max, unnerving the man enough to lower his hand and lean back while Batman leaned forward to scowl in an uncomfortable proximity to him. "So why are you really here, Mr. Lord?"

Visibly sweating bullets, Max looked between the perplexed Booster and the scowling Batman. Pulling at his collar, he backpedaled a few steps and cleared his throat, "I apologize but I'm afraid I need to speak with you, in private."

"I don't see why you have to part ways with your friend," The Dark Knight uttered with low timbre, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "Unless what you're about to tell me is confidentially sensitive?"

"Uh, what are you talking about?"

Maxwell sighed, loosening his tie and looking towards Booster Gold. Pupils dilated, and a forced smile breached his visage, as he spoke in a clearly rehearsed manner to the man, "Booster, my man, can you give us some space? I'll be back momentarily, don't worry about it."

Suddenly the countenance of Booster changed from worried to at ease. It was an eerie display as he grinned and waved him off while ushering his perplexed robot partner along with him to walk down a corridor. Forming a sneer, Batman leaned forward and uttered two words. "Follow me."

The walk was a haunting one, full of silence despite the animated dialogue and glances from personnel to Leaguers. The view of Earth in all of its splendor was lost on the two as their arranged conversation made it quite clear this wasn't a social call. Moving to an unmarked pair of doors, they slid in and the Dark Knight locked the entrance behind Maxwell as he entered in. Grabbed by the collar, he was throw into his quarters' seat, and crossed arms over his chest with a demanding stare aimed at him.

"Start talking, Lord, or I'll find ways of making you talk."

"That's unnecessary, Batman," Max tried to reassure him with an uneasy smile. "I came here of my own volition. Despite the deception of tricking Booster Gold that we were old friends, I wanted to be here to talk to you about some dealings going on with Checkmate; not to mention my own personal problems."

"Explain," Batman intoned sternly.

"Waller's got a situation on her hands, one she'd never readily admit to the League after the fiasco of trusting Lex Luthor and nearly having our whole operations destroyed. We were lucky to be absorbed into Checkmate, had not Waller developed undeniable results to further the efficiency of the United States operations in military and espionage. But as it stands, she respects you most of all and the League's founders," Maxwell began to debrief, placing the briefcase onto his lap and opening it with a fingerprint scan. "But she'd never divulge information to you without ensuring this is kept discreet. Recently we located someone who has been on the run since that Mind Spin incident across the Western Seaboard. Does someone named 'Ace' ring any bells?"

"Yes. She was the psychic the Joker used to put everybody viewing his broadcast be induced into permanent limbo. She isn't a joke, with even my steeled will and mental fortitude it was a challenge just to make heads and tails of my surroundings while the Joker took full advantage of it," Eyes observing the nervous look in Maxwell's eyes, he groaned through his nostrils. "You tried to capture and contain her, didn't you?"

"Waller's orders," Maxwell nodded with grim affirmation, handing a manila folder to the Dark Knight to hold and sift through its contents. "She views her as a walking WMD, due to the instability of her mind and how she was easily used against millions of viewers three years ago. And given how she's been on the run this whole time without a word has made her even scarier to the Brass; which is why we issued out a Kill Order if we see her."

"There's something else you're not telling me, Lord," The Great Detective deduced as he looked through satellite photos and data gathered about Ace's recent movements. "What are you hiding?"

"Well...the reason we're sharing this information with you is because, well," Max grimaced, tugging at his collar before retrieving another folder for the Batman to hold. "Your boy, Robin, is among her cohorts."

Batman grew quiet. It was scary to the adviser to see such a man brought to silence by mentioning him. Grasping the folder he cautiously looked through the pictures and bullet points of penned data clarify the 'cohorts'. Blinking only twice during the whole of the moments he digested this information, he spoke again, almost startling Lord.

"Any guess as to why they're involved?"

"Actually, one of the running theories is that they're hypnotized by Ace. But recently, given precision and planning of their entry to fight hard against the security assigned to her, it seems ruled out. They are with her willingly, though it is unclear why and we're trying to figure that out," Maxwell informed him, reclining slightly as he sighed wearily. "Now you know why I wanted to discuss this in private. The fact the Brass wants Ace dead shows how grave the situation is. And if your ward, and those sidekicks, try to stop our men-"

"You'll have to answer to the Justice League, Lord," Batman snarled, his voice growing menacing and his stature seemed to enlarge with his presence to the perspective of Maxwell. "I promise you, a simple dissolving of your organization will seem like a mercy compared to what I and the League will do in retaliation. That is the response I want you to give to Amanda. Is that clear?"

"They got themselves involved when they invaded a government sanctioned site and stole a dangerous weapon, manufactured by the government. If they get in our way, it is standing in the United States' way-"

"Did I stutter, Lord?" He growled, leaning down to glower at the terrified man. "The League will bring a reckoning if one of them is harmed. And I mean, any _one_ of them. Including Ace. Are we understood now, Lord?"

"Back away, Batman!"

Without realizing it, the Dark Knight had complied. Standing at the back of the room he balked at the phenomena and the haggard look from the suit-adorned Maxwell gave him an indication he hadn't meant to do what he did. The feat of him telling off Booster Gold and convincing him to be brought to the Watchtower now made sense.

"You're a psychic," He murmured, somewhat with awe and the rest being on guard for the next 'command' he'd be given. "But not always. Is this your _personal_ problem?"

"It manifested recently," He admitted, resting his face into both of his palms, trying to cover the sweat. "Not more than a week after Darkseid invaded, I began having these headaches. I thought they were going to cripple me. Then, I began to hear thoughts that didn't belong to me. Next thing I knew, I could 'think' and things would move. It was all small game until I got angry and told a colleague to piss off. I think my command was meant it to be literal, cause next thing I know I have to report a freak 'accident' in my office."

"Does Waller know?"

"If she doesn't, she will soon. The only thing taking her full attention is this case with Ace. Between running mountains of paperwork for Checkmate, errands for Waller and the now daily migraines I don't know when I'll collapse. Will I be as dangerous as Ace, or will I just be a danger to myself? I don't know how I'm supposed to cope with this!" He exclaimed, hands shaking and eyes looking at Batman with clear panic in his eyes.

"J'onn is the most capable of psychics that I know. He'll be more than willing to aid you in this matter. But you tell Amanda-"

"I know, I know! Believe me, I know better than the cross the people who saved the world many times over. I just know what a conflict of this scale could generate an unfathomable controversy," He sighed shakily, rising up to collect the files in Batman's possession and packing them back in the briefcase. "Let alone a war that could devastate the planet."

"Let's hope it never comes to that, Mr. Lord," The Dark Knight stoically intoned. "I trust you'll find yourself out without an escort?"

"Trust me, I can get back fine on my own," Max nodded, doing his best to recompose himself before exiting the Dark Knight's personal League quarters. "For what it's worth, I hope things work out with those children. I don't know their reasons, but if being partnered with the League is any indication, it must be noble. Hopefully their business concludes sooner rather than later."

Nodding back, Batman mutely acquiesced the same sentiment. When the nervous man left, the Great Detective immediately sat down on his chair and turned on his computer. Dozens of key presses later left him with rapidly opening windows, giving him access to the right computer feeds and satellite imagery he desired. It took him less than five minutes, given from the pictures he saw and the information he had diagnosed with an educated glance, to find the Titans.

"Greece. What are you doing there, Tim?" Bruce murmured, his cowl-covered eyes frowning. "And why didn't you tell me?"

Leaning back, he placed his hands into a pyramid while pondering his next move. This was an incredibly delicate situation. If he got the rest of the Justice League involved, he could more than likely guarantee. At a cost it'd unravel the situation and make it from a covert op to an ultimate controversy at least to a international incident at worst. But if he kept this to himself, he'd limit resources on his part but could move within the cover of obscurity and possibly confront Robin before he'd make any further decisions.

Inhaling deeply, he let loose a sigh, eyes scowling ahead.

Whatever decision he'd make, he knew that he'd need to make it soon; less this band Robin's part of cause problems that'd effect a geological disaster in their wake.

* * *

He knew he was a complete mess. Despite the bravado he had before, using it as much as he could in front of those around the Watchtower, he could barely keep himself sane. The headaches, the cold sweat from waking from delving deep into someone's conscious while asleep, and the constant watching of his words so he didn't accidentally hypnotize someone into being his thrall on accident.

Just controlling it was even a hassle. Given how sound works, if someone mistook his voice calling out for them he could unintentionally tell more than one or two people to perform the same task. The greater the number, the bigger the aftershock the power gave him. One person didn't seem to stress him much, but bigger numbers surely could put him into a coma if not render him unconscious from the pain.

" _I'll just ditch Booster Gold. As much as I hate to be that guy, I have too much on my plate right now to endure his mannerisms as of this moment_ ," He determined with a glowering stare aimed at the Justice League's teleporters.

Just before he could ask one of the purple jump-suited workers to leave, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Half expecting Batman to come after him, he tensed and turned around, only to be relieved to see it was Booster Gold. Not that he disliked him, but he was far more tolerable than being pressed into a corner by the crime fighter of Gotham.

"Oh, Booster. Sorry about that, but my matter with Batman was a bit too important to share with you. Hope you understand," He apologized aloud.

"Oh, it's cool, I was just talking to Ted Kord for a little while. We go way back and I just saw him in passing," The golden superhero shrugged nonchalantly, smirk adorned to his usual brand of narcissism. However, the grip of his seemed to not relent, making Maxwell nervous. The sight of Booster's smile broadening to a decadent degree, a phosphorous smoke billowing from behind his shades while the rest of his body began to emit a smoke unnaturally from his clothing and skin. For another oddity, no one present seemed to notice this phenomenon other than him, increasing his anxiety by several fold. "What's the matter, Max? Am I gripping too tight for you?"

"Let me go!" He shouted, suddenly feeling release as he stumbled towards the teleporter.

Pushing aside bewildered personnel, drawing some eyes from the Leaguers present, he pressed coordinates for Checkmate HQ. As he vaulted the console towards the platform, he stopped short and gawked at Booster landing in front of him with ease. He was now no longer a vibrant blue and gold, but a black and violet design with the star on his chest becoming a bleeding red. As rays of the teleporter enraptured them, he swung his hand, and they disappeared.

In its place, they were in the outer reaches of space, orbiting above the Earth.

"W-What is this?! Why did you bring me here?!" Maxwell questioned out loud, not yet processing how he could not feel the effects of a vacuum or speak at all where there was no air.

"Tch-Tch, I have advanced quantum entanglement technology built into my suit. Did you think a relic teleporter the League has could possibly snatch you away from me? But that's aside the point," Booster continued, using speech and mannerisms not like himself with waves of his arms and a perverse smile on his face. "I want you to meet my, let's say, gracious benefactor in opening my eyes and giving me such grandiose clairvoyance in joining the new order."

"You're mad! I want you to send me back, now!" Max tried to shout, his anger brought about through desperation and stark confusion.

Then, a voice echoed all around him, and made his blood go cold.

" _ **Maxwell Lord IV. You'll do well not to use your powers so callously on my servant. It puts me in a sour mood when I'm given such...disrespect**_."

Looking behind his shoulder, he backed away at a monstrous aura of blackness with tinges of violet seeped throughout. It seemed to eclipse the Earth facing him, eyes bleeding through with an angle that depicted a scowl. Like an inferno born in the darkness of space, he felt as if his whole body would burst into ash just by looking upon it. Shaking like a leaf, he couldn't think nor muster up the resolve to fight back against something so beyond his scale.

"S-Sorry," He whimpered out.

" _ **Better**_ ," Its eyes narrowed and its voice becoming more savory, almost inviting. " _ **I understand you've been through a great deal, Maxwell Lord. My new servant had issues of his own till I helped fulfill his true potential, understand his greater purpose and granted him gifts he didn't dare to dream of. I can offer the same to you**_."

"I-I...shouldn't," He tried to turn away, only to see that the infernal flames had looped around his flanks and seemed to create a coffin of darkness. Other than the overcast the red eyes created, there was no light, and nothing to offer him comfort. Looking back, his teeth chattered and his hands trembled at his sides. "Y-You're the Devil, aren't you?"

" _ **I'm so much more than that, dear child of the Earth**_ ," Its eye slimmed and razor white teeth spread within the blackness of this roaring inferno before him. " _ **I am the raw torrent of your primal urges and the vessel to push your emotions forward. I am the fan to the flames of your darkest fears and most decadent desires. I am your voice telling you to invoke taboo and also to resist order. I am Sin, and I am your satisfaction. Your pleasure is my own, and your relief is a gift I graciously offer to you**_."

As he told this to him, something moved within Max. A deep urge he had subdued with will, maturity and rational thought. He had long since wished to push away the authority that had constantly shoved him into tight cramped quarters with little to no reward for his efforts. To do away with the superheroes who make his life a living Hell, to bring Amanda to her knees and beg for forgiveness for the trials he was wrought with for her whims. Even still, he wished he could simply just erase this 'Ace' and every abominable creation Cadmus, Checkmate or the League has ever made intentionally or otherwise.

" _ **Can you see yourself lasting much longer? The pain worsening, the toll excruciating and the reprisal from all sides bearing upon you? You should not have to suffer such indignation, such intolerable treatment. You deserve better; a grander purpose**_."

"I have...no dreams of my own...I'm...dead, but somehow...living," He admitted aloud in a mumble, eyes becoming placid and the realization his aims weren't going anywhere. He'd die as a lonely man, with bare retirement at best and possibly in the most undignified way. With these powers spiraling out of control, it could be even sooner and at the blame entirely his own. Placing his palms over his face, he shook as he sobbed. "I want to be better. I want more out of life. I know I shouldn't but-"

" _ **You don't need to hesitate. Sieze the opportunity! Embrace what you really are, and become a part of a masterful design! You are an instrument needing to be played, not cast into the shadows and left to rot!**_ "

"Y-You're right," He began to chuckle, eyes now ablaze red unaware to himself as a nervous smile spread across his face. "I need to take back my life. I need control. I need...you."

" _ **Then bow to your King**_ ," The flames commanded. " _ **And surrender yourself to me, and I'll unravel the agony wrested within you**_."

Slowly, and with what little hesitation -the voice in his head dimmed, unable to tell him to stop- dropping to his knees in the cocoon of darkness and placing his forehead against an invisible floor. All at once, he felt engulfed in the torrential force that he saw, forcing him to close his eyes. At first it was like thousands of searing blades shot through every pressure point and every nerve to the last fiber of his body.

Then, he let out a sigh; and he felt so much better.

" _ **Rise, Maxwell Lord**_ ," The otherworldly being ordered, its grin maintained with enormous red eyes observing its new subject. " _ **Tell me, how do you feel now? Did I not deliver on my promise? Am I not a gracious master, my servant?**_ "

"Yes, my liege," Maxwell replied, a delighted smile spread ear to ear, full of elation and nirvana. It was like he was granted the greatest ecstasy that maintained a passive buzz within his head, gliding over his skin like the smoothest silk and warmed his insides greater than any intoxicant could. More still, he observed that he was physically more built, toned and inclined. His simple business suit was replaced with a black one, the collared shirt becoming red and his tie a deep onyx. From the creases of the suit, to his skin and hair, he emitted his own ghastly flame of blackness with outlines of purple against the tongues, giving him a euphoria of an aura such as this was given to him. "To what name should I call you?"

" _ **I am named much, beyond your comprehension and far too long to list. But I will give you the only name that should matter**_ ," It grinned, eyes widening as he spoke with a thunderous proclamation. " _ **JADOW, THE KING OF DARKNESS!**_ "

* * *

 **A/N** : Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, that's a wrap. Boy howdy, another long one. But we covered a lot of ground, didn't we? Backstory to the villain, conversation with Phantom Stranger and Shazam. Batman's prelude to involvement in this story, and Maxwell Lord's corruption by the hands of Jadow. The suspense is rising!

How will our heroes fare in greece? Will they find the avatar of the gods, Pan Dora, in time? What will Batman decide in doing to avert a potential crisis? How will the corrupted Booster Gold and Maxwell Lord perform for their new King? Find out, in the next chapter of the Mighty Teen Titans!


	8. Servants of the Dark

_Last time, on the Mighty Teen Titans:_

 _The Teen Titans were transported under a singular word to the Rock of Eternity. There they met the wizard, SHAZAM, the man who past on his mystical powers to Billy Batson and in turn gave his awry sister the chance to help fight alongside him in the battle against evil, both mystical and natural. There he awakened Ace, bringing out the Phantom Stranger and they explained who their true enemy is._

 _Jadow, the King of Darkness. A malevolent entity of chaos whose existence had nearly encompassed the entire universe, spurring on madness, fear and decadence of all shades in order to feed his insatiable appetite on the weakness and sins of mortal beings. In a united stand, the predecessor to Shazam, Nabu -the spirit presiding in the helm of Doctor Fate-, and Spectre the Spirit of Vengeance fought Jadow at the peak of his power. With their combined might and magical prowess, the three sealed him away into "The Hall of White"; a dimension crafted to seal the beast away from anything evil and be in constant pure light, starving him for eons since._

 _With his prison withering, he seeks freedom and will use those of weak will to obtain it. The most prime candidate that he seeks, which Phantom Stranger reveals firsthand, is Pan Dora; a conduit of the Greek pantheon as a means of keeping divinity in a world that doesn't worship them. Should she be taken by Jadow's servants, not only would he be free but possess power surpassing his prime and making him virtually unstoppable._

 _The Titans go to Athens, Greece, where their mission demands to secure Pan and keep her out of Jadow's grasp. Meanwhile, Batman is confronted by Maxwell Lord, former head of the Ultimen project as its face and manager now running errands for Checkmate's Administrator Amanda Waller. Divulging information of what Checkmate intends to do to the renegade Ace and the Titans who accompany her, he also reveals his recently acquired psychic abilities. Despite the advice given to him, Maxwell feels distraught and feels little hope for his condition improving._

 _Previously manipulated, Booster Gold returns to Maxwell before he returns to Earth, kidnapping him and suspending him above the planet. There he is confronted by the face of evil; Jadow's face. Intimidated and awed, he is tempted by him to lend his will and servitude to him to free him of his pain, complacency and lack of a clear goal to become more than he is. Transformed by insidious magic, Maxwell Lord joins Jadow's ranks of servants and he is off to do his bidding._

 _Will the Titans keep Pan Dora from being captured? What will the Dark Knight do, now he knows of Checkmate's motives? Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Servants of the Dark**

* * *

The moment the Titans stepped through the portal they found themselves transported into the midst of a conflict that was chaotic and confusing. Stepping out on a rooftop, Robin took the lead and knelt over the edge. Down below the two to three story buildings that were all arranged in a flat-perpendicular line with streets of cobblestone and soot maneuvering into cross sectioned streets. It was a warm, clear day and it would've been nice; if not for the fact there is a riot spreading the width of this particular street.

A myriad of adults were gathered below, protesting with signs and dressed in less than middle class attire. They were being pushed back by clad black police, wearing riot gear and moving in on the offensive. Spurred on by other more nefarious looking black masked individuals that smashed the fronts of shops and threw Molotov cocktails, lighting the street and store fronts aflame. The scene below looked incredibly volatile, but Robin didn't leap down to break up the violence.

As far as he could see, there was no definitive side to simply step in for; at least, not without causing an international incident.

"Robin?" Annie asked, now drawn to his side with worry at his stillness and silence.

"We can't get involved with this," Tim replied morosely, standing upright and looking to the others. "This isn't something that we can afford to deal with. As much as I hate to say it, we have to let things play out on their own here."

"I agree," Roy replied tersely, his face stony and drawn into a stoic expression. He too, was obviously unsettled with inaction against a barely contained riot on the street. But with everyone in mutual agreement, they had no other choice but to keep going on their mission.

"Where to start?" Jaime began to ask, until a pair of feet echoed behind him, giving him a start. It was the presence of their benefactor stepped through the now disappearing portal that transported them into this country. Looking to the hat adorned man, he restated the question again. "Where are we supposed to look in a city this big?"

"Not to worry," The Phantom Stranger smiled thinly, gesturing to the building below their feet. "We just happen to be standing where the avatar current presides."

"That's convenient," Jesse murmured to Mary, the latter of whom nodded with affirmation.

"Time is of the essence, and I rather not have you run in circles trying to find her, giving the enemy one more advantage I care not them to possess," He explained briskly. Gesturing to the roof access door, Phantom hurried the group away from the scene of violence and economic upheaval, down through the stairway to their destination. Graffiti strewn across the walls, incandescent lights flickering on and off with thick stains of unsavory substances paved the way to the avatar's dwelling.

Arriving at the doorway to the apartment in question, Phantom Stranger stood aside and let the Titans stand in front of the entrance. The look was expectant, and Robin knew he wanted them to take the lead. The boy wonder lifted up his hand, forming a fist, and hesitated. Taking a breath, he rapped his knuckles against the surface in a melodic knock.

Silence.

"Maybe she's not home?" Annie guessed with a turn of her head, not hearing anyone come to the door after half a minute went by.

" **Jaime Reyes, I detect a singular thermal signature inside. She is inside.** "

"Uh, I think she may be asleep," Jaime suggested, nodding his head toward when everyone looked to him. "The Scarab says he detects only one person inside, so she may just be just unconscious."

"Or, being an ass and refusing to come to the door," Jesse also suggested, snorting and reaching over to knock repeatedly on the door five times more than necessary. When nothing came of it, yet again, Jesse fumed and had to be held back by Mary from breaking the door down out of annoyance.

"Jesse, you can't just go breaking down doors whenever something doesn't go your way!" Mary hissed at her.

"I don't like this place, Mary! It screams 'don't stay here long, less you be robbed and worse'! Who would want to live here?!"

"People who want to be left alone? Low on money? Desperate? There are a lot of legitimate answers to give you, but I'm not going to placate them."

"You know, Mister Spook-"

"Phantom Stranger," Robin corrected her.

"-whoever!" She flailed, getting free of Mary's grip, but doing nothing to get past the arm crossed marvel woman. "I'm just sayin', bad guys are going to be looking all over the city for her but we got her, twenty feet away. I say we just nab her, and just hightail it out of here while can. We don't need her to be given a whole story WHY she needs to be kept away from Nightmare on Elm Street or why we need to play keep away from the Agents of the Matrix! Why are you people making this thing about a matter of courtesy when we have a real problem to deal with?"

"For once, I agree with her," Roy spoke up, surprising Mary, Annie and Tim at this. Seeing their surprised expressions, he blankly stared back and sighed. "I'm not here to make friends, and we don't need to be hers. Far as I'm concerned, she's a target by Jadow. Sooner we find a secure place to put her in, then we can explain things after the fact."

"I agree, Roy Harper," Ace intoned stoically, stepping past Jaime and Kid Eternity, the prior pair still deliberating on what was said while the psychic marched up past Robin and Annie. A turn of her head and the door was unlocked, creaking open and leaving the way unbarred to their entry. Looking back at them, she saw Annie's eyes bulge and Robin close and then reopen, followed with a weary shrug.

"Guess whether I'm in Gotham or not, I end up breaking into somebody's home anyways," Tim brushed off, nodding to Annie and the others to follow Ace inside.

Entering inside, they'd see the apartment was relatively a mess. Clothes were strewn across the cabinets and flooring, take-out food was resting by the TV -still running the news of the ongoing riots in the streets- and there was that distinct unwashed smell in the enclosure. Had it just been a simple case of untidiness, the glib would run freely from the most sardonic of the team.

The Titans, however, were greeted with a foreboding sight. The silver haired Pan Dora, dressed in a sleeveless tank top and grey sweats, was sweating profusely with her eyes knitted shut. Floating above the bed, she was writhing about in panic and gasps of agony; while a dark shadow with bleeding red eyes was attempting to siphon itself into her paralyzed form.

"What the Hell?!" Robin croaked out, immediately fishing out a batarang from his utility belt out of reflex, the rest of the Titans reaching for weapons and looking at the entity with fright and alarm. Only Ace stared wide-eyed with recognition, long before its voice whispered insidiously to them.

" _ **Ahhhh, children,**_ " The shadow spoke, its eyes leering towards the group cramped into the apartment. " _ **I was wondering who my known nemesis would try to recruit in stopping me.**_ "

"Let her go!" Tim cried out, Roy already priming a weapon from his prosthetic arm and Blue Beetle his plasma arm cannon.

" _ **Try as I might, the gods have done good work in shielding her from my incorporeal form. I cannot possess her without the aid of one of my loyal servants,**_ " The shroud admitted, eyes narrowing as a menacing edge tinted its voice. " _ **But it doesn't mean I can't make her suffer while I wait.**_ "

Just as he said this, the shadow was wracked from over the girl and smashed into the wall, letting the girl fall to the mattress in unceremonious flop. Splayed out it shrouded the window and the foot of the bed, bubbling and writhing in effort to release itself. Eyes strained to stare at the attacker; a glint of surprise at the black haired Ace, eyes glowing gold and a glare etched into her usually stoic visage.

"I didn't think you were hard of hearing, _Jadow_ ," Ace sneered, her outstretched hand twitching and spasming, showing the effort it took her to hold back this dark avarice. "When the Teen Titans tell you to release the girl, you do as you're told or fear the consequences."

At hearing his name being uttered, the entity's glare thinned and its countenance became more intrigued than anything. Splitting out into multiple pieces of the same whole, it reconstituted itself over the psychic's head, its red eyes boring down towards hers. Had she not had the presence of mind to raise a barrier over her head, its presence would have latch onto her instead.

" _ **So much spunk for one so young**_ ," The Darkness growled, the red of its eyes lighting around Ace, the girl feeling sweat perspire form her pores and her lips quiver at its voice being so close to her. " _ **I'll enjoy taking that look of rebellion and turn it into devout servitude; or hopeless despair!**_ "

A gloved hand reached from the wall, wrapping around the shadow's 'neck' and twisting it hard. An unnatural set of pops akin to bubble wrap crackled in the air as the apparition began to dissolve. Before it complete dispersed into drifting smoke, it left a haunting cackle that left everyone with goosebumps along their skin. Once dealt with, the gloved hand pushed out with the Phantom Stranger emerging fully from the wall itself.

"Thanks for the heads up, Magic Man!" Jesse snapped, now fully cognizant after the supernatural event was dealt with. "Why couldn't you have warned us about him being here?!"

"I couldn't," The Stranger replied bluntly, grabbing the lip of his hat while looking around the room. "Jadow can appear at will through projecting his spirit through his corroding prison; like I said, like hands reaching through spaces of jail bars. However, his act of symbiotic parasitic feeding through his servants make it far easier to detect. Had I revealed my presence here, we would be in far more trouble than if he had known of your presence."

"Oh, well that makes it all so much better!" The Speedster ranted, Mary shushing her with a whisper and a glare.

"Ace?" Robin turned to the psychic, placing a hand on her shoulder. Shaking her again, he called her name when she didn't respond. "Ace!"

"I'm fine," She lied, shakily raising a hand to palm her face, affirming with a half truth. "I never tried moving something like that with my mind. It was like trying to push against raw energy. I don't think I can combat something like that on my own."

"I'll fry him with a good magic bolt next time," Mary reassured her, walking past them to bend over to the unconscious Pan. Putting a hand on her forehead, its dampness revealed a burning fever and the darkness around her eyes shown she hadn't slept soundly in awhile. Picking her up, she held her bridal style and looked to the others with visible concern. "She's sick, and we need to get as far away from here as possible. Problem is, I don't know if going back to the Rock of Eternity is a good idea."

"Why not?" Annie asked.

"Probably because, as Mr. Stranger put it, Jadow found her long before his so-called servants did and we only found out through space/time meddling on his part. If we brought her there, we'd be inviting them into our home turf and we'd be trapped, unable to go anywhere else," Robin surmised, looking to Mary and getting a nod of confirmation. Cupping his chin, he began to think. "We can't take them to the League based solely on a story we have and this girl. We need her to get better, so it'd have to have medical equipment too-"

"I have a safe house we can head to," Roy offered, earning everybody's attention. Raising a thumb over his shoulder, he explained. "I'll tell ya once we leave. I rather not us get caught and be tortured into revealing the information. Call me paranoid, but it doesn't seem far fetched that this Jadow can read minds too."

"A safe assumption," The Phantom Stranger intoned. Looking towards the now visible window, unseen eyes thinned. "Unfortunately, I don't think I can join you. You'll have to all leave on foot. One of his servants is already here; one I prefer you don't face directly."

"I'll stay-!"

"Ace?!" Robin turned, looking at her worriedly.

"I can help! Please," The psychic turned to the man, her hands balled into fists. "I don't want this monster getting anywhere close to them. I have to make sure they can leave this place without being followed."

"Don't worry about me," The mystic looked over his shoulder, his obscured eye twinkling with reassurance. "I haven't been at this long enough to not know a few tricks or two. You should help your team, there's bound to be other followers of Jadow en route here. Hurry, and fly, now!"

With an open mouth closing with resignation, Ace sighed. Robin helped ferry her out, Mary being in between the group and the Boy Wonder, Annie and Ace making up the rear while Blue Beetle, Arsenal, and Jesse Quick made up the front. Rushing back up to the roof access, Jaime could only sigh as they left their first enemy to their guide and benefactor.

"This day keeps getting better and better," Jaime muttered under his breath.

* * *

This was the place. Maxwell Lord knew it by the virtue of his new gifts bestowed upon him by his savior and master, Jadow. The country here was ravaged by social and economic turmoil, despair ran rampant with in-fighting of various sides. Through proximity of such a land rife with conflict, he felt the powers that be within him grow stronger just by being in this place. Floating above the city, he used -through the whispered advice in his head- his psychic powers to dull the notice of those beneath him so that he could search in peace.

His senses spoke of something out of place from the rest of the teeming native populace. An apartment, long since fallen from beauty it once had, had a presence akin to his master just a moment ago. Glaring, his floating person made a beeline, soaring through the air like anyone used to flight would. The streak his black, red collared suit made a midnight trail of his form rapidly approaching the destination he sought.

Her jerked to a halt when he saw something emerge. The sense he had in question was by a blue overcoat figure phasing through the apartment complex, walking onto the air parallel to it. Looking up at him, he had a false sincerity to his pleasant expression; one that he personally had to use when the prestige of his wealth and fame was stripped to him being a lowly errand man for Waller.

"I'm sorry, but the one you seek isn't here, Mr. Lord," Phantom Stranger intoned with a composed cadence that added to the eeriness of his sudden appearance here. A twinkle of his shrouded gaze and a curl of his crooked grin, the man pocketed his hands in his coat while inclining his head up at the floating psychic. "Why don't you run along and you can leave with your dignity intact?"

Glowering, a black flame burst from the recesses of his suit, his eyes reddening as he became incensed by this bold action. He knew who he was, and why he was here, so why the bravado? Surely he didn't know whom he was dealing with, he believed. Switching from anger to malicious intrigue, Maxwell thrust his hand out and put authority into this command, "Tell me what I want to know, mystery man, or suffocate yourself!"

Seconds passed. The air moved by in a noisy gust, fluttering tie to coattail. The distant sounds of anarchy and rioting filled the background. A lot of things filled the void of silence between the two, and, after long last Phantom sighed.

Twitching his hand out of his coat came a flare of lime colored energy, shooting outward and forcing a surprised Maxwell to deflect it with a psychic swipe with his left arm. The bolt dissipated, fizzling out like fire crackers, and left a foul odor lingering to his magically enhanced senses. Looking to his suit sleeve, he saw part of the magical missile had scorched through his psychic shell, leaving a numbing burn on his skin. Growling, he turned to look back at where the mystery man was-

"I tried giving you a way out, Maxwell."

-before hearing his voice echo dangerously behind him. Twisting around, he began to speak -attempting to use hypnosis again- when a behemoth fist crashed into his everything. Eyes bulged, nose crushed and teeth smashed as his psychic shell was pulverized and he was sent hurtling into the apartment complex, tearing a man-sized hole through one floor past each one till he was buried ten meters into its basement. The summoned appendage used to hurt him glowed blue and quickly disappeared from over Phantom's left shoulder.

He stared down, expectantly, awaiting for the inevitable return.

"Who is he?!" Maxwell snarled, feeling his bones reset and cartilage restored in painful sounds of restoration caused. The dark magic coursing through his veins was only thanks to his passive negative countenance and his anger set on this obstacle. If it also hadn't been the residual negative atmosphere of the city, he wouldn't heal as quickly as he was. Pushing slabs of debris off him, Maxwell flew straight out of the hole, now fully displaying to the few unnerved residents of the complex who were still inside, and arriving a meter or so away from the hole of Pan's apartment he made; staring up with a blood red, pupiless scowl as he commanded with another attempt of hypnosis. "Tell me who you are or stop breathing!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not inclined to answer that," Phantom Stranger retorted, a thin smile of resistance shown in good complement to his words. "Your psychic powers may work on the natural world of mortals, but it has no effect on someone who exists outside of that realm."

"Outside? You're not even human?!" Lord sneered, his body spasming and tearing the face of the apartment off. Entire slabs were torn into small pieces, rapidly orbiting around him, energy coiled and snapping with a whirlwind gathering around his person. As apartment tenants and passer biers looked on, they'd gawk at the dark magic flashing wildly around the psychic. A thrust of his palm, Maxwell hurtled streaks of accelerating debris at Phantom. "Damn you, supermen! All of you freaks can go straight to Hell!"

The mystery man's eyes glinted, his left hand flicking in the direction of the psychic barrage and subsumed it in a wide breath of ephemeral green flames. Vaporizing the assault, he'd feel a tether of an intangible grip grab hold of his feet, throttling him down into the ground with immense force. Halfway buried within the street below, he'd look up and see Maxwell tear off a drain pipe -mentally fortifying it to look like a crude spear with coiling crimson currents- before telekinetically hurling it at the pinned man.

A simple clap of gloved palms, Phantom unraveled his position and transmuted the asphalt and concrete of the street into a human doppelganger of himself to catch it. It'd spear through the clone, narrowly missing Phantom's head and cutting his right cheek in a shower of kicked up debris. Rising back up to his feet on the ground, he'd backpedal precariously away as Maxwell continued a relentless assault, using parts of buildings to pinpoint and target him as he continued to retreat.

"GET BACK HERE!" Maxwell howled, now in full assault as Phantom slipped between solid surfaces of alleys and other structures.

"As I thought, he proves too difficult to simply destroy. Best I can do at the moment is keep his attention away from the others," The Stranger processed, deflecting more debris with phantasmal energy as he continued his dash across town. "Robin, keep Pan away from Jadow's men. If even one of them gets a hold of her, it'll be the end of all of us."

* * *

The Boy Wonder's mind was scrambling for ideas. The enemy was not only just foul magic in origin but could appear at will and harass them to no end. He hadn't the faintest clue if what Phantom Stranger did would last long, but the fact he was going to stall an enemy he rather them not face meant it was strong enough to take them all on. He hoped any other servants that'd be sent their way could be managed, whoever they may be.

Looking around the city, he kept sharp eyes peeled for anything suspicious. The many running citizens, rioters and protesters made it difficult to move swiftly on foot down the streets. The black masked individuals thankfully paid no heed to them and the police were held up dealing with the ensuing havoc. What he had a problem with was the possibility any one of the people they were passing by could be a servant and they wouldn't know until it was too late.

"Roy," Tim asked, trying to talk over the ambiance of the sounds around them but still being discreet. "How far away is this safehouse?"

"I got one here in Greece, just not in Athens. Call me paranoid but I think having hideouts in big cities is bound to attract more attention than in low key areas," The leather jacketed, red domino masked man replied, his own eyes keeping in mind of their surroundings. "Once we get to the city limits and we're not being followed, I'll direct you there. It won't be long, given whose company we're in."

"The sooner we get out of this city, the better," Mary intoned with a serious edge, speaking leagues of her nervousness. "I've had bad vibes ever since stepping through this portal. Foul magic is all around us."

"Gotta love some bad juju thrown into the mix of crazy!" Jesse griped aloud. Suddenly, the Speedster took a glance up at the sky at something shiny and moving quickly towards them. It was a golden-blue figure dropping out of the sky, deliberately approaching their midst out of the moving crowd. "Oh crap, we've got incoming!"

"Wait," Jaime raised a hand, the Blue Beetle's HUD locking on and informing him of his identity. "I think it's a friendly face; Booster Gold?!"

"Hey gang!" The blonde time traveler spoke jubilantly, landing on the ground in front of them. As soon as he said this, he felt a lot of hostility and raised his hands up disarmingly trying to laugh nervously in reassurance. "Hold up, I'm not here to cause trouble! I just got word that you guys have been causing some mischief and you may be in a lot of trouble; by the look of things, more ways than one."

"You could say that," Jaime replied, now a bit more guarded given this may not be as good news as he initially believed. "Did the League send you?"

"Actually, I was called in as a favor from Bats," Booster intoned with a more laid back smile, looking over to see Robin standing behind Mary, holding a sick looking girl. While his eyes were drawn to the young woman's face for a few seconds, he kept speaking as if nothing happened. "He was busy with some things and wanted to lend a hand without causing a scene. Wouldn't look good for anybody if Justice Leaguers with big names and faces came strutting into a precarious country's instability, if you get my drift?"

"Oh really?" Robin now inquiring, finding this even more suspicious. He hadn't silenced his communicator at all, the very one linked to the frequency only those of the Dark Knight affiliation would be privy to. Being partnered with him for the past several years, he knew better than anyone that Batman wouldn't send errand boys but do things himself. Looking to Roy, he nodded to him while walking around Mary and staring up at Booster Gold, crossing his arms over his chest skeptically. "I'm guessing he's worried about me, right?"

"Of course! After all, you're like family to him, aren't ya? There wouldn't be any other reason for him to send someone like me to help-"

"He's lying."

Booster's voice caught in his throat, his blue eyes widening behind the visor. Drawing a confused and surprised gaze to the one who spoke, he saw Ace's eyes glower at him, a glare fixed at his person with her lips parting to show gritting teeth. Before he knew what happened, her eyes flashed gold and the superhero convulsed, his arms spasming and hands reaching up to clench at his skull. Through his perspective he was now being devoured by maggots, biting and gnashing all over while he couldn't brush them away as they dug into his skin.

Just as quickly as he began writhing in pain, his costume burst in black flame, and relief came to his mind. Standing upright, he'd exude a sickening aura that made Ace falter and the rest recoil in surprise.

"Shit!" Roy snarled, unfolding his bow and drawing back an arrow, notching it as Booster Gold's blue-gold was swapped out with red over black. Crimson visors hid black eyes with red irises, a sickening uncouth grin spread across his face. Once he let loose the projectile over the shoulders of his comrades, the corrupted hero fired a blast from his suit's right arm.

Unfortunately for the antagonist, Roy's choice arrow had showered into a phosphorous gas that ignited with his gauntlet's wrist blaster. The chain reaction caused enough of an explosion that it stunned Booster and seared some of his unprotected flesh, causing the man to scream in anger and pain. Taken off guard, Jesse Quick sped up and landed a crescendo of bone crunching blows to his chest, abdomen and finished with a roundhouse kick to his face that shattered his goggles, sending him hurtling with an air popping shockwave over the street and into the face of a distant building. Buried under debris, the Teen Titans decisively rushed to the nearest alley to escape their new nemesis.

"What's wrong with him?!" Annie asked in a panicked voice.

"Jadow must have gotten to him. It's just like what Phantom says; hero or not, if he gets a hold of you, you become something unholy and terrifying," Robin explained, grimacing as he didn't notice earlier something was off. From the time he arrived and the wayward glance he gave towards Pan, everything should've been more obvious. Shaking his head, he ran with the group down the alley towards the side street. "We got lucky, had we been ambushed by whoever Phantom's fighting, we would be in serious trouble."

"I second that," Roy agreed with the sentiment, a half grin on his face at the irony of the situation. "We got a D List Leaguer instead of someone of higher reputation and prestige."

"I beg to differ how our situation's changed at all, Sir Harper," Kid Eternity argued, his eyes scowling at the archer. "We're in the enemy's den and this demonic force can appear at will. Him being possessed by such dark power means we're not out of the woods yet."

"Hey, don't jinx-" Jesse began to say, skidding on the street with the rest of the team, catching sight of a particularly soot covered black-red figure at the end of the street. "Dammit, Kid! You had to say it, didn't you?!"

"Hath ye belief in the world of mystic, I shan't rebuke you. But since ye are a woman of science, then ye are a sham to invoke jinxes and cast blame at me!"

"Says the guy who has inconsistent Shakespeare-speech," Roy muttered under his breath, notching another arrow and pulling it back to his jaw in a second, letting it loose in the next. From his point of view he saw the arrow phase through Booster's forehead, the image of his ebony fiery form now flickering with indiscriminate fluxes. The arrowhead sunk into asphalt far away, exploding its thermite charge, and creating a cloud of smoke imbued fire behind the corrupted figure, orange-gold overcasting his crimson-black suit. "Okay, so did he superspeed that or was that magic?"

"Only one way to find out," Jesse intoned, dashing off in a blur before Robin could tell her to stop. Shearing through the sound barrier, the golden electric blur of red and yellow moved at incredible velocity towards the distorting form of Booster Gold. Swinging a punch to hit his face, she found to her shock that his head rolled out of the way in the midst of her punch; simultaneously rapidly hammering her mid center and chest with a barrage of punches she couldn't see. Rearing back a final uppercut, he sent the speedster flying up before a pulse of energy from his gauntlet sent her smashing into one wall and bouncing to the other.

Jaime had leaped to catch her before she could hit the second one, thanking the Scarab's HUD for predicting where she'd be; what he didn't like was his back smashing against the wall to absorb the brunt of her momentum.

"Jesse!" Robin cried out, Annie widening her eyes with mortification and holding her mouth with shock. Turning to look at Booster's twisted grin, he snarled, reaching into his utility belt for a pair of batarangs. If it wasn't for Ace's physical arm raised to bar him, he'd have leaped forward, and he didn't realize what had come over him until Ace's stoic right eye looked over at his masked ones. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

" **Don't speak** ," Ace warned telepathically, her eyes now aiming at Booster's. " **This man's more cunning than he appears to be. Let him boast on his own, buy us some time.** "

"You kids pissed me off with that stunt earlier," Booster confessed, his grin spread to sickening degrees as he cracked his knuckles slowly to intimidate them. "I don't have anything as fancy as super speed, but I got time travel circuitry built into this suit. Without Skeets, I can't jump across time accurately or change what's happened but I can alter my physical time. Phasing through walls, moving faster than even your girl can and more, my suit's got it all; with Lord Jadow's help, I don't even need to worry about holding back, cause my power circuits are overflowing with his energies!"

" **Yeah, he's monologuing alright, but what should we do?** " Robin inquired, now everyone linked to Ace's telepathic conversation.

" **It seems that Kid Eternity is right. Despite us underestimating him, Jadow has conflated his earthly desires to corrupting his soul and changing him into a hardened criminal. Between his suit's advanced technology and the dark magic surrounding him, Jesse's speed and my psychic powers are rendered ineffective. Much as I hate to say it, we need someone to help draw his attention long enough for us to make a getaway.** "

" **But, who's going to do it? We can't afford to leave Mary here when there's other magic users running around. I'm no slouch, but I don't think a time traveler is in my ability to take out-** "

" **I'll do it,** " Jaime replied, surprising them as he handed Jesse's stunned form over to his arms. " **The Scarab and I have been in tougher scrapes than this. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can hold him off long enough.** "

" _ **Indeed, Jaime Reyes speaks the truth. Sophisticated as this technology may be, it is incomparable to my programming's adaptability matrix.**_ "

" **...did I just hear the voice in Jaime's head just now?** " Mary questioned with visible agape shock.

" **He's possessed! I speak the truth!** "

" **Oh shut it, Kid!** " Roy snapped, outwardly twitching. " **And Jaime, I've got your back. You've had mine since crazy girl broadsided us, it's only fair I keep looking out for you.** "

" _ **That is not necessary, Roy Harp-**_ "

" **Shut up, Scarab! We'd be happy for the help, isn't that right?!** "

" _ **I strongly protest the need for aid-!**_ "

" **What did I say?!** "

" **And that's why I rather not hear the voice in his head** ," Mary quipped with a sidelong stare in the opposite direction.

"Are you guys...having a telepathic conversation?" Booster Gold asked, suddenly aware of the lack of dialogue but visible shifts of expressions.

"Uh," Robin reacted lamely, looking to Annie who shook her head, whom he joined in saying dumbly. "What private conversation?"

"That's RUDE!" Booster howled suddenly, thrusting both palms out and firing out wide beams of golden energy towards the team. Ace instinctively cuts out the link, throwing her weight into a psionic barrier to repel the blast. Spraying light all over, Blue Beetle decided to take advantage of Booster's temper tantrum and jettisoned via his Scarab backpack above the distracted servant of Jadow. Transforming his left arm into a ribbed transmitter, he unleashed a sonic blast that fried his suit's circuits and brought him to his knees. As soon as the blast wave was halted, Ace catapulted the corrupted hero up into the air, allowing Roy to land a triage of explosive arrows on his person followed up with a throttling tackle by Blue Beetle into the ground, pinning him there.

"I got this! Go! Now!" Jaime cried out.

"You heard the man," Roy told them, already notching another arrow and running from the group to take aim at the squirming antagonist in their grasp. "We'll hold him here!"

With the briefest wave of hesitation, Robin turned to the nearest structure and fired a grappling hook up to the roof, grabbing hold of Annie's waist and propelling the pair upwards. Mary flew up after them and Kid Eternity muttered an incantation that placed circling around around his feet, enabling him to run up the side of the building to join them. Seconds later they'd be out of sight from the two heroes, leaving them to contend with the burning and struggling Booster Gold.

"Scarab! Can you scan a weak spot I can subdue this guy without killing him?!" The young man asked amidst him pushing down the snarling man, ebbing a flame that was cold instead of hot like he expected it to be; even through his suit he felt the chilling force sending tingles through his body that unsettled him to his core.

" **Unknown. The phenomena surrounding him is akin to a cosmic parasite. All variables I'm coming up with end with his termination; I shall continue scanning for possible contingencies**."

"So, got any ideas?" The Blue Beetle asked, the coldness along with the black flames continuing to spread over Booster Gold's body as he began screaming unintelligibly. His eyes widened as he saw Roy pull back the bowstring, the arrowhead ebbing vapor from the blunt instrument's cracks. His HUD identified it in seconds, and he began to stammer out. "A-Arsenal!"

"Get off him, now!" The archer ordered, letting loose the arrow. The blue armored teen had only a second to leap away, the impact arrow snapping onto Booster's neck. The canister split open, releasing a liquid that turned into gas, hissing loudly as the whole of Booster's rising body into ice. Choking and hacking, he reached out towards the archer, even as the fingertips were paralyzed by the cold encroaching over his entire body.

For the moment, he was frozen solid, and deadly still; not even black flames ebbed off his captured person.

"Uh, I guess that did the trick?"

"Don't let your guard down!" Arsenal shouted, already in the process of notching another arrow. In the moment that Blue Beetle turned towards him the loud crack of the ice snapping, following a hissing gout of black fumes escaping the shattered recesses of the frigid prison surrounding Booster. Pulling back the missile to his cheek, the other young hero transformed his arm into a sonic transmitter, aiming it towards the black flames that now subsumed from the shattered ice.

"You don't get it," A raspy voice came from the darkness, red eyes piercing the rising onyx tongues of shadows. "I'm never going to make a difference, no matter how hard I try. Even tunneling to the past won't change my future; every outcome results in me getting the short straw. I've saved the world and no one even notices. I'll never even be recognized as the hero I desperately wanted to be; as long as I stay good, that is."

A crimson streak throttled towards Jaime, the young man barely switching his other arm into a shield to brace the HUD's predicted impact. A loud clang followed his frame smashing into a distant building face, rolling off it and wincing from the pain. Even as the red archer let loose his projectile, an extending claw of darkness shot from the man's left arm, crushing it in midair and snuffing the explosive. Continuing its path it launched out at a speed that took Roy off guard, grabbing him over his shoulders and around his waist into a crushing vice grip.

"But as a Villain, no one will forget the _Crimson Streak_!" He declared out loud, a maniacal laugh let loose as red eyes burned brightly as his blood red and black costume burned dark fire all about his frame.

" **Jaime Reyes, I have a suggestio** n."

"I'm all ears," The Blue Beetle hissed as he struggled to stand up.

" **If standard protocol won't work, then perhaps an alternative theoretical solution can be had. What is a shadow's greatest weakness?** "

At hearing that, Jaime's eyes widened and then he grinned wryly, muttering lowly as he tried to keep himself from being noticed, "Yeah, stupid that I didn't think of that. Hey, Cabrón!"

Booster Gold -now dubbing himself Crimson Streak- turned to the indignant teenager with a sneer. Forming another shroud over his right hand, he concentrated and crafted another claw faux appendage to use. As he spoke this, his captured prey slipped a hand into the pocket of his jacket and fished around for a particular gadget.

"Want to be noticed that badly?!" He cried out indignantly, his right and left arm manifesting hardware with circuitry that fused the two arm's gauntlets together to form a wide oval shape. Whirring to life as an orb of crackling energy spawned from the barrel, Jaime screamed out just as Crimson Streak shot a crimson-lined dark arm towards him. "HERE'S THE SPOTLIGHT!"

A wall of light shined out as a plume of cobalt fire shot from Blue Beetle's plasma cannon. Effortlessly smashing against the magical crafted appendage it ravaged its way past the flames and exploded against the corrupted hero's body and suit. He heard a satisfying howl of pain, charred bits of his onyx fiery suit shattered and fell to pieces, scorched burns marring his skin and cooking his flesh from the bleeding right hand up his shoulder to encompass half his torso and part of his face.

"AH! YOU BASTARDS!" He shrieked, the magic siphoning off his pain and amplifying in gait around his injured person. "I'm go-"

"Catch!" Roy piped up, tossing small marble shaped balls of black outlined grey hue. A clicking followed the balls engulfing his immediate person in a series of explosive flashbangs, earning another profuse shout of agony. The darkness melted away immediately, allowing Roy's body to drop to a crouch and withdrawing the arm that shielded his eyes to clench into a fist.

Simultaneously, Arsenal and Blue Beetle synchronized a charge, the prior pulling back an energy snapping prosthetic arm while the latter formed a hammer around his left arm. Just as Crimson Streak was about to regain his senses, the older man slammed his synthetic fist into his solar plexus, lifting him off the ground with an air popping shockwave lapsing over the street. With the wind thrust out -along with ichor spewing from the mouth- the cybernetic boy slammed his hammer in a flashing pulse of force against his skull, hurtling with immense pressure into the opposing structure through several walls and out the other side, flopping over in a heap.

Breathing heavily, Jaime looked to the archer, inquiring with hesitation, "Now what?"

"Now, we catch up to the others!" He urged, already turning on his heels and scooping up his fallen bow from the ground to compact it within his clothes.

They could already tell, in the time it took to hold this guy off, any number of things could've happened by this point. When they'd finally arrive, they'd be witness to something that brought them to a halt, and would look on with grim countenance.

Something else was barring their team's path.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the hiatus, guys. It's been hectic, I'll tell ya. Between this story kind of getting little reception (initially) as I'd like and me being moody and all (as all writers do I suppose) I went to write other things or just stopped writing for awhile. But now I'm back and I hope to update this quicker than before. I had the idea that this chapter would be longer, but I thought to cut that out so this wouldn't drag on too long and also leave ya hanging for more. Can't wait to show you what I have in mind ;)

See you all then!


	9. United We Stand

_Last time, on the Mighty Teen Titans:_

 _Having arrived at Athens, Greece, the Teen Titans moved quickly to retrieve the girl they were looking for. However, upon entering her home they find a spectral shadow tormenting her; one that belonged to cosmic parasite, Jadow! After dispelling him, the team had only minutes to leave while Phantom Stranger holds the attention of Maxwell Lord. Between his psychic powers and dark magic healing him at astonishing rates it's all the spirit guide can do to keep him away from the Titans._

 _Meanwhile, his other partner -Booster Gold- arrives to deceive them. When the Boy Wonder puts two and two together, Ace reads his mind and reveals his true form: the one of the self proclaimed Crimson Streak, the villainous servant of the King of Darkness! Knocking Jesse out with ease, Blue Beetle and Arsenal combine tech and skill to temporarily incapacitate him while the others pushed on ahead._

 _As they arrive they find yet another obstacle obstructing their path. What can it be this time?! Find out, now!_

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - United We Stand**

* * *

Minutes ago, Robin and the team left Arsenal and Blue Beetle behind to hold their own against a deranged superhero, corrupted by dark magic. It was all just a delaying effort, to make sure they could escape the city without being followed or letting the girl in their care be abducted. From the way the Phantom Stranger put it, if anyone got a hold of her, it'd be game over.

So after breaching several blocks closer to the docks, they found themselves cut-off by a particular dauntingly sized man. Clean shaven, broad jaws and beady eyes, this man wore loose fitting robes akin to a monk's, holding a large black iron cross on his back. Held by a strap, looped around upraised fingers of his right hand, the other lie at his side tapping his hip expectantly.

Before they could stop, he hauled the cross up and over, slamming it onto the ground in an inverse sign. An ominous pulse flowed from it, blue ancient writing scrawled across the earth and surged outward, forming a perimeter and stretched a translucent illuminating barrier that soared over their heads for twenty five meters and about the same distance from the point of the barrier's catalyst.

Simultaneously, Mary felt all of her energy become sapped, her adult body transforming into her teenage shape in a burst of gold light escaping her as it fled up through the dome ceiling into the sky. Her hold on Pan was strained and she looked around dazed. Groaning, she let out a loud exclamation, "SHAZAM, COME ON!"

"He cannot hear you," The man spoke, walking around his cross, placing a brawny hand on one of the cross arms as it continuously pulse light from its core. "I am what this weapon is, the Black Cross. This rejects all other divinities, faiths and heretical magic within my sphere of influence. Even that summoner over there is powerless to call upon spirits to aid him here."

"FOUL SORCERER!"

"I'm a priest," Cross replied bluntly. "You're the only sorcerer I see."

"Do not compare me to those charlatans!" Kid Eternity professed, earning an eye-roll from Mary.

"Are you with Checkmate?! You gotta let us through!" Robin urged, waving an arm in desperation. "The whole world is at stake!"

"Can't do that," Another voice responded, earning the Boy Wonder's look of surprise as a staunch figure emerged from the shadows. Wearing state-of-the-art body armor of interwoven plating of black and grey with a crew cut of light brown hair, the black-eyed man was recognizable only from a passing conversation about Cadmus. It was Captain Rick Flag, the son of a patriot under the same name, who operated under Amanda Waller's complete trust and was her most efficient operative. If he was here, then that meant the raid they conducted earlier for Ace was now revealing the ugly head of consequence! "Hey there, kid. You're a long way from home."

"I could say the same about you!" Tim reared around, fixing a glare while Annie looked back and forth between the two with panic while Mary and Kid Eternity looked at the holy fixture handicapping them. Ace looked disturbed at their mere presence, the stress of the situation catching up with her in ways he wasn't fathoming at the moment. Right now, he was angry at the man barring their path while a sick girl's life was in trouble, in the name of 'justice'. "Let us go!"

"I don't think you heard me the first time, Robin," He derisively replied, raising a hand and snapping his fingers.

In the span of the snap, a beam of light streaked by Drake's head, narrowly missing his head and impaling the ground beside him. Shaken, Robin turned to look over his shoulder and saw a man crouched on a bordering building's rooftop. He was wielding what looked like a bow made out of light, dressed in similar armor to Flag's, but had tribal face paint stretched around his eyes, his angular proportions hidden from the distance but the halo of light he made gave Robin the impression he was a new recruit like Cross.

"We've been given a kill or capture order from the Brass. Ace is a WMD and needs to be treated as such," The Captain spoke in a serious tone, his threat made clear as he walked towards them with his eyes narrowed dangerously at the team. "I couldn't give a damn what your mission is. She's the menace and we're here to either bring her in or take her out. Your call, Wonder Boy."

"You people," Ace's voice spoke up, drawing Robin's eyes to look at her sweating visage, her eyes erratic and shaking as she raised trembling hands to clench at her head. "You people...never leave me alone!"

"Ace-!" Robin began to reach out, suddenly pulled away by Annie as a pulse of psychic energy was unleashed by the black-haired girl. Transmuting into a hard substance -briefly becoming mud in the process- the shapeshifter protected Robin as Ace's power was unleashed, with Mary and Kid being shoved back by an invisible wall of force. Due to their powerless nature and the unconscious people burdening them, they could only watch as Ace lifted herself off the ground, psychic energy snapping and pulsing around her while her eyes became a pupiless gold.

Then, she let out a painful shriek, " _ **LEAVE ME ALONE!**_ "

A warping ripple of space bent and distorted matter on a cellular level. Robin felt his body spasm from pain, same for Annie and everyone else conscious. Energy ribbons snapped all around, flowing with the tide of psychic backlash being thrown in every direction. Robin looked to Rick and, to his surprise, the man braced himself for the oncoming psychic wave of energy. A visible bubble of deflective energy pushed out, emanating from a belt he wore, wavering and buckling under the strain but not fully breaking.

It was the same for the archer of light and Cross. They too braced themselves, grimacing all the while, but were largely unaffected. It was as Flag said, Robin surmised. They came prepared for Ace and had only brought a Anti-Magic containment because they were associated with her. Seeing this made him calm down and from what he saw with a swivel of his head that even Ace looked shocked by this reveal.

"Ha! As if we'd come at you with our minds and bodies vulnerable to you," Rick chastised, standing upright to show off how unshaken he was by her impulsive strike. "Give it up, Ace, and come back. I promise we'll leave them be quietly, otherwise we have no choice to terminate them. You don't want that, do you?"

"I-" She hesitated, realizing how badly the situation was now because of her. Looking around, her gold eyes returned to her normal dark orbs. Past her rippling scalp she saw Annie and Robin, slowly getting back on their feet and then to the unconscious Pan and Jesse held by the powerless Kid and Mary. They were badly matched here and she was of no use to them. She bit her lip hard, eyes closing as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. "I'll...go. As long as you leave them be, I'll do it."

"ACE!" Robin hollered, now restrained by Annie as she fearfully kept him from endangering himself. Despite this, he tried to reach out towards her, eyes wide behind his domino mask. "We're getting out of this together! I'm not letting them take you again!"

"Robin, make sure you complete the mission," She spoke quietly, her face -still full of fear and doubt- was held back by the blankness that masked her shrunken eyes' true emotions. "That's all that matters now."

"Sensible, for a human weapon," Rick remarked with a scoff, raising a hand for her to come towards him. "C'mere, and no funny business."

With great hesitance, she began slowly walking towards him, all the while Robin struggled in Annie's grasp and Kid grimaced with Mary looking away in shame.

"Ace-!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

A new voice suddenly cut off Robin's, making him turn to see Arsenal and Blue Beetle just outside of the barrier. Hope was reborn in him, the pair looked to be in fairly good shape despite the villain they were left with. Did that mean they defeated him?

"It's those Feds we dealt with back at the facility! Looks they caught up to us," Jaime figured, his arms already transforming into bladed-claws in a bid to strike the field from the outside. Striking the transparent barrier, sparks flew and the wall rippled with vigor but didn't force him back entirely. It just held him back, and he began to force the edges further and further in till he had a hold on it. "I think I got it!"

"Cross?!" Flag turned to him with sharp inquiry.

"It's power against the supernatural and mystic is unparalleled. However, his is the work of machines and intellect," Black Cross replied somberly, his eyes furrowing and his lips tightened with grimace. "The godless aren't my burden to repel, but it can withstand natural forces to a lesser degree. He shall not pierce through...so...easily...?"

The Blue Beetle snarled as more individual partitions of his suit began to snap out and pry at the repulsion field, sliding nanoscopic distributors that laced his claws with energy fissures that pushed further and further apart. When it was about the size of a person, Arsenal let loose an arrow over his shoulder, the shaft shot by the rooftop prone archer; thankfully the Scarab revved up the chest-plate of his host's, unleashing a beam of plasma that forced Cross to evade while it smashed into the artifact and charred its surface while propelling it off its placement.

Bringing the whole field down.

"Dammit!" The Checkmate Captain swore aloud, pulling out a blaster pistol to take aim at the pair. "Do you realize what you're doing could endanger so many more lives?"

"The whole world is at stake, Flag," Roy sneered, his bow notched and taking aim at the distant light-archer as he cast a squinting stare at the black ops agent. "I think we'll take our chances doing our way rather than you botching it up, like you always do."

"I'd listen to him, _jefe_ ," Jaime inferred with his own arms creating a broad shield over one appendage and sword in the other. "We don't have the time to deal with you, what with a literal _diablo_ chasing us."

"What are you talking about?" He questioned with a hardened glare.

"Captain Flag," Robin addressed him seriously, bringing his attention to the fore to delay a fight and give more time to the rest of the others recuperate. Sharing a knowing glance at Ace, he spoke as succinctly and honestly without betraying with wasted frustration or rampant anger he suppressed for the moment. "I know you don't believe we're qualified to handle things, because of our age or our uncertain backgrounds. I don't even think I'm qualified to lead this team when it comes down to it. But, because someone told me they believe I should be there for them, I can't back down from my obligation and the bonds I've forged, even in such a short time," Seeing the psychic's eyes actually emote an emotion other than fear, brought a smile on his face, reaffirming his focus to the caged expression of Checkmate's front line agent. "This girl we have is sick, and there's a terror that is hellbent on getting her. If we let that happen, there won't be any room to bicker and point fingers about whose worst than who. So please, just this once, help work with us together."

Silence.

It hung heavily in the air after Robin chose to speak in a careful yet determined manner. Rick had always followed his orders to the letter, but had found that the previous organization ended up in failure and had done some terrible things that he wouldn't have condoned if he had known them previously. He had always put his country first before himself, and had believed those in power above him should follow the same principles if they were to have his loyalty. It's why he stuck with Waller, despite the fallout of leadership among Cadmus.

But now, he wondered if Amanda was being completely kosher with him. Did they have the full scope of the mission these young heroes were on? Was it all just manipulation? He had studied such traits and found that those mentally dominated would stoop to any level and use any strategy to get away. Nothing about them seemed malicious, even going as far as to heal someone as rabid as Galatea.

Withdrawing the pistol, he pressed his free hand's fingers to squeeze the bridge of his nose while he squinted his eyes closed with grimace. Sighing, he reached to his concealed earpiece to the left of his head, and spoke quietly into it, "Did you get that, Waller?"

" **I did.** "

"What are your orders?" He asked, keeping his eyes closed as he contemplated what she could be thinking.

" **You need to ask?** "

"I do, actually," He spoke brusquely, his frustration beginning to mount against her. "And just because you're being coy makes me want to know exactly what your intentions are if a sliver of what they said is the truth. Taking this at face value instead of ignoring it like before and causing more problems, let me ask you again: What. Are. Your. Orders. Ma'am?"

Screaming.

A haunting, devilish howl was sounded that made everyone's eyes widen and chills run down their spines. The air seem to change course and the distant crescendo of chaos from the riots and a conflict with the Stranger and Lord. Wind of a cold nature surged from a few blocks over, without changing the make-up of the sky and buffeting with a numbing bite to the skin of everybody in observing.

"It's him!" Ace choked out.

"Who?!" Flag asked, his eyes seeing something he didn't expect from this experimental super weapon. Eyes shook, unstable and unfocused, with pupils darting around with a thousand yard stare. The lips around her shaky breaths quivered, hands trembling with sweat beginning to accumulate in cold droplets across the brow and down her neck.

"Jadow," She whispered, as a black inferno crashed through the building opposite of their street.

It launched itself with an indecipherable shape, torrents of ebony that mimicked the makeup of fire while producing a ghastly cold wind that they had felt moments earlier. Like a tidal wave it moved with a sentient purpose, to consume all living things within the street towards its prime prey. Everything else would pale in comparison to what it desired; _what it craved_.

While everyone had frozen stiff, something in the back of someone's mind provoked him to move and he acted.

Tossing several particular ball-bearing shaped devices into the nearly tangible darkness came a stinging glare and a whining sound; a sound only rivaled by a horrid shriek of pain.

" _It worked?!_ " Robin thought, his domino mask shielding some of the glare to see that the form-less shadow had contorted around the exploding flashbangs that were produced from his utility belt. But in its contortions of visible, shrieking agony, it spiraled itself in thin roped bands towards them ever-still with a thriving intensity. Backpedaling away, he grabbed Annie's arm and yanked him with her, narrowly avoiding the initial spikes that stabbed into the earth with debris-showering cracks.

The others responded accordingly.

Blue Beetle exchanged his sword and shield for a pair of ovular plasma cannons, his Scarab manifesting a winged-jetpack for him to launch himself backwards and fire at the horde of spiking appendages latching out in monstrous search for its quarry. Arsenal let loose a series of sparking taser arrows, making sure to preserve his heavier armaments as he meant to do anything that provoked a similar flash to what the young leader had aimed for. Flag had begun firing a sort of beam-weapon from his blaster, shooting holes at where he could see beyond the initial flashbang while moving with adept momentum regardless of his bulk. Cross had retrieved his namesake weapon, using it as a bludgeon towards the infernal shadows that managed to get close enough to him, relying on the distant light-archer to continue skewering and bisecting the shadowy appendages.

It was all a delaying act that had slowed but not halted its charge towards them. The snarling force continued to ebb closer, lashing out with an aggression only matched by the improvised firepower of the united stand of the Teen Titans and Flag's chosen squad. In the midst of the chaos, they had ignored the slowly waking Jesse, as well as the girl -Pan Dora- was given to Kid Eternity, cradled in his arms as Mary rushed quickly into the fray. Her brunette hair whipped behind her as the short-sleeved, shorts-wearing girl rushed past them all and seemingly into a suicide charge.

Just before she let loose a glaring shout as her eyes ebbed electricity and her hair stood upright with the rest of her being, " **SHAZAM!** "

With the sky swirled in automatic reflex of storm clouds, a thunderclap later and a flash of magical power stretched out and touched the young girl. Transformed into her iconic, feminine form, the now adult Mary Marvel's sheer entrance had blasted away a good section of the shadows that had been charging at them. Her orifices burst from the seams with magical power, she let out a mighty cry as she took a single stomp forward and the ground became electrified in a forward flash of force of Divine light that shaved off the face of the menace that had assaulted them.

" **Ah, so _the Wizard'_ s found a substitute to fight his battles. How droll,**" A familiar voice broke through, a drastic contrast to the chilling howl of a nightmare that had attacked them earlier. In the thick fog came a wafting flame of darkness, a pair of angular crimson eyes glared through, holding onto a physical shell that they had thought dealt with earlier.

But in the ensuing dissipation of steam came a startling reveal that Crimson Current -previously known as Booster Gold- in his tattered, crimson-black uniform marred with blood and bruises showed that it was even scarcely resembling the man they knew of. His hair wafted back with the fire of metaphysical degree, like a smoke-riddled fog and seemed to seep out of the nostrils and mouth of his darkly smiling visage. The eyes shown nothing but a pure crimson, vapor of red also hissing out of the sockets as he glared at his obstacles. Despite the obvious push-back, he looked more amused than frightened by their allied stand.

" **What a resourceful bunch humans have become** ," He spoke, his haunting voice overriding Booster's own, as he gestured with a hand in the most dismissive manner while tongues of onyx continued to burn coldly around his frame. " **But it's irrelevant. Futile, even**. **Without _His Vengeance_ and _Nabu_ at your side, you stand even less of a chance of defeating me, even with this paltry vessel at my disposal. Give up my choice vessel and I may yet be merciful**."

"Sorry," Robin intoned with renewed vigor, bravely stepping forward next to Mary with Annie walking timidly beside him. Taking a clenched fist and palming it into an open gloved palm, he grinned defiantly as Arsenal notched arrows, Flag aimed his weapon forward with him along with the rooftop light-archer while Blue Beetle stepped up with an awakened Jesse Quick. Kid Eternity himself muttered something under his breath and they all felt that familiar protective wreath of mana-fueled warmth, a sign they were given a brief shell of protection while he kept himself back. "But we're not going to back down just because you ask nicely. We're taking the girl, and you're going sit back and watch."

Jadow was about to say something in retort when Mary swiftly planted a boot straight into his stomach. His eyes bulged and the whole of his body bent backwards with the blow that shattered the sound barrier, cracking glass within the city block and quaking the man-made foundations beneath them. The shadows wreathed around him billowed out, instantly shooting out to stab at Mary and doubly pierced into the ground. As she dodged the tendrils of darkness, the possessed man bounced back to be immediately face-to-face, grinning through with bloodied teeth.

Launching her backwards with a backhanded slap across the face, throwing her straight through the building behind them, causing it to collapse with the light-archer.

Despite the falling building, Kid still had the sense to leap away from the debris, using an undercurrent of mutterings to erect an additional barrier around himself and Pan held underarm to deflect the shrapnel. Looking back around, he'd see a shadowy appendage zigzag across the air to entangle him where he stood, moving faster than the team had anticipated. Without any thought placed behind it, Kid cried out a spell that launched a searing flash of light that eroded the fiery onyx tendril into the shrieking void whence it came.

Just in time for Mary to explode from the pile with the light-archer, tossing him aside as she zoomed in back at the possessed Gold.

Grinning, he remained rooted in place, swathing his arms in a thicker disproportionate size of abysmal magic around his left arm till it was the size of his own torso. When she arrived, he'd match her strength with a twist of his torso, the pair's impact creating a contrasting wall of light and darkness that twisted the visual spectrum to a virtual gray-scale that split the earth in half beneath their feet. Blasted away, Mary fired off magical bolts that were deflected by the larger appendage, much to her annoyance.

Until Blue Beetle fired a wide burst of luminous azure plasma to Jadow's guarding flank, weakening it just enough for one of the lightning bolts to emit a howl of agony from his throat.

"Lay it on hard!" Robin commanded, withdrawing several batarangs in either hand, rushing to the opposite end to throw in curving arcs towards the shadow-laced beast, watching them explode on contact. "Use anything that can emit a bright flash! It's his only weakness!"

"Not only that," Jesse commented, swiftly rushing by to punch at particularly barren pieces of skin and costume that weren't covered by the dense magical raiment. This resulted in satisfying crunches and meaty hits, giving way to loud pops of her super strong and swift attacks to deliver bloodied injury. Enough that, when Jadow cast a glance at her, she had to leap away before he exhaled a monstrous gale of eradicating flames of the darker hue. "But it seems like he can barely move that body. That's why he's throwing so much power around; he's not regenerating injuries like he was before!"

" **And?** " His voice hauntingly interrupted the speedster. Before her blitz against him came a shadowed outline of featureless night color, grabbing her by the wrist to yank her off her feet. Pulling her into his enormous left fist to crash into her front flank from the thighs up to her face. Twisting his arm around to propel her back, she'd be thrown off her feet, corkscrewing backwards like a bullet to tear across the street straight towards the docks with a distant thuum of force. With her thrown off, the possessed hero turned to avoid attacks from both Blue Beetle and parry Mary Marvel's strikes, sneering at them with a liquid voice that echoed in the air before the team. " **It doesn't matter to me if this man lives or dies. So long as I acquire a proper vessel to free me from my prison, all of you are inconsequential. I'll have what I desire and you'll all wither to dust before I let you stand in my way.** "

Undeterred, Robin leapt off Annie's shoulders -using her own malleable frame as a platform- to vault over the triage of fighters to lasso a tied bola-bola with a grapnel. Once he was tied, the entity snarled as he was ziplined towards a nearby structure, his back striking a proximity mine glued with another flashbang; causing a ringing flare that was overshadowed by the darkness shedding off a screaming being's bloodied skin.

"SHAZAM!" Mary howled out with a thrust of her palm.

"Eat plasma!" Jaime cried out, combining both of his hands into a joint-plasma cannon.

The pair's attacks collided into the howling monster, smashing through one structure and past the next. In a streak of midnight came their foe, making an arc straight for for Kid. Annie transmuted her arms into massive appendages of mud, whipping them out to interrupt his movement and smash him into the ground. Instead of pushing off her, he sunk below, emerging from the earth yet again while receiving long-range blows from Roy, Jaime and Mary, ignoring the shadows that burnt off the exposed flesh of his host as he roared out to Kid's vicinity.

A sudden boom was released as Jesse's lightning sparked her return, landing a sprinting left hook off his jaw. In his bodily twirl, he sideglanced a murderous stare as she changed course to throw another punch at him. Whipping a spare arm, it became a body sized tendril that absorbed the brunt of her strike and swipe her away, this time caught in midair by Mary. During his spin, he let loose more surging tendrils, one of which disarmed Flag and bludgeoned his torso to crack against the pavement and several more partially dissolved into crashing into Jaime's head and left shoulder. Roy himself had to dexterously leap and flip around several, grappled by an ankle before smashing into the ground with prejudice. Even the airborne Mary and Jesse received an abundant amount of thrashes from the animated darkness.

Robin hurled himself head over heels to ram an unfolded quarterstaff straight into his spinning skull, pinning him into the ground. Joined by Annie in a hardening smother over his arms and legs, the pair did their best to restrain him to give the others a chance to catch their breath. With Jadow's mouth contorting into blood spewing howls of indecipherable words, the shadows licked at his damaged parts and coldly swept over him, refusing to let up in an imminent counterattack.

"Ace!" Robin called out, doing his best to keep him still while he cast a dawning stare at their psychic.

She was shaking in place. Unlike the rest, she couldn't move as she was paralyzed from the fearful encounter just a little while ago. The memory of the nightmares, the black fire that covered piles of ashen bodies and deserts of lifeless sand across the planet. Hardly taking a breath in and out, she looked almost frozen until his voice called her back to reality.

"WE NEED YOU!" Annie countered with a shrill shriek that not even Tim had heard from her before. As the bubbling broth of darkness erupted from her clay-molded anatomy that had tethered the body to the ground, Robin's staff snapping under the pressure and both thrown off, she let out another horrified scream as the crimson-eyed mantle of darkness enveloped completely over Booster's frame once more. Kicking off the ground, he was tackled to the ground by Jesse and Mary, soon dog-piled on his back by Jaime.

" **Get off me,** " Jadow whispered, snarling as his eyes erupted into a furnace of red and the rest of his body threw them off in a black-out of shadow as he let out a guttural scream. " **YOU GNATS!** "

"Fair Maiden, now is not the time to falter!" Kid beckoned Ace from his rigid spot, earning a slight flinch from her spot. "I cannot summon while using my spellcraft to keep you all safe from the worst of his magic, let alone defend this defenseless flower bewitched by illness. You must stand resolute!"

"I-I," Ace began to choke out, her teeth chattering, her eyes unfocused and seeing things that weren't in front of her. "I almost killed you all, just minutes ago. I snapped and almost lost control," She grabbed her shoulders, her knees buckling -on the verge of caving- as she saw Jadow's form continuing to combat them all while stepping ever-so closer to his objective. "How can I stop him, if I can't even stop myself from hurting all of you?!"

"You brought us together!" Roy roared out, unleashing a Xenothium beam of scarlet-ebbing light at the monster's flank. "Don't make us regret that!"

"I'm not letting you get any closer!" Mary shouted, both her and Jesse lancing around his shoulders and holding him back, even as the black flames continued to intensify around its frame. Their heels dug in, grinding across the soil as it continued to march forward.

"Stop-Stop-Stop-Stop-Stop!" Jesse cried repeatedly with a fist hitting his head, blasting fragments of shadow and hair out with every impact.

One last grapnel was fired, wrapping around his middle and pulled back by both Annie and Robin, their own feet staggering as they struggled to hold back their adversary.

" **It is understandable, to quiver in fear before an unknown horror,** " Jadow spoke calmly behind the mask of agonized rage he bore outwardly. His left arm became a colossus in size, whipping around to elbow Mary and smash Jesse in the face; hard enough that she bounced across the wrecked street straight into Annie and Robin in a crunching pile. Sweeping out, the hand transformed into a jagged toothed mouth, eclipsing the light of the outside as it aimed to consume them as the Ragnarok Beast grinned behind his mask of darkness. " **But your ignorance won't exist for much longer, as all will know my terror once more in the cosmos!** "

Crack.

A single disturbance was felt in the air, like space was quaking.

Blood-red eyes widened as he felt his whole being wrenched from place, like an invisible hand had just grabbed over his whole person and smothered him with an indescribable vice grip. Unable to see what was causing this sudden force of paralysis, he'd watch to his own mortification as a golden halo of light entered his periphery, and a voice entered into the shared space of his mind with Booster's.

"No more," Breathed out Ace, her eyes a pupiless glow of yellow as the rest of her body shined with the same majesty of her own psychic power. Bursting from the seams with psionic presence, she stretched out a clawed hand with a quivering effort, burning away the blackened maw that had nearly taken Kid and the sickly Pan in his arms. He watched in awe with the Titans as she slowly pushed him back while mentally holding him back; blood exuding from the eyes, ears and nostrils as she continued to push back a force resistant to her own powers of mental domination. "I-I won't let you make my nightmares become reality!"

" _Nightmares?_ " Jadow thought. While this word left an impression on him, he was feeling desperate, realizing that all the distance he made could be undone by a single child. Straining with all of his being, even as the blackened mantle shrank and barely covered the uniform and hair on Booster's head, the Beast continued to push back against this new obstacle. Gritting as blood poured from his mouth yet didn't push out of the yellow barrier hold over him. A hand shook up, showing through effort as he aimed a hand, claws bending the barrier like plastic and aimed to pierce her flesh.

Red.

A luminous heat suddenly surrounded Ace's vicinity and painted the ruined city block in an overwhelming dye of blood in a ghastly shriek of noise that penetrated the city of Athens. All would see it and look on with a mixture of awe and fear. A brilliant blaze of heat struck the immobilized Jadow with an amount of might tantamount to a finger of God. The Black Devil's scream was muted by the sound that made all observers' deafened by the blaze of heat that burned at the surface of their skin and melted everything within the two meter wide circumference around his person.

At this sight, Ace stumbled back, and peered through the thick miasma of vapor that had collected around the street, the distant sound of thunder entering her injured ears. As all of the Teen Titans looked at the bubbling earth around the feet of the near bare skinned frame of Booster Gold, they'd see the wisps of shadow still clinging to his hair and the faintest of red still in the irises of his person. Burns marred his whole body, blood ebbing between viscous cracks and his flesh hissed on contact with the air.

Turning his head to look upwards, he'd have the faintest contractions around the eyes before a blur of white extended a gloved hand to make contact with his face, pounding him head first into the ground fast and hard enough to instantly cool the earth on contact. The shockwave bristled outward to make kilometers of infrastructure tilt, window sills buckle and the cloud-filled sky part with her movement. With the rest of his frame twitching and spasming in place, it eventually fell back as a noxious mist left Booster's form and the dirtied fist removed while a single figure in a one-piece of peerless alabaster in cloth boots and gloves looked at the aghast Titans.

"What?" Galatea asked with a deadpanned snort.

* * *

Maxwell felt something.

Amidst his battle with this phantom, he hadn't the thought that his compatriot could fail to round up the missing vessel their master was so intent on acquiring. But in this tag and chase he was having with this enemy of his, an unknown current of vanishing magic left an impression in the farther recess of the city. His face turned, red eyes peering towards the horizon as a vanishing color of red and black made his skin go cold.

"He...lost?" He echoed, almost parched in the croak his voice made.

" _It seems they managed well enough without me,_ " Phantom Stranger concluded with a concealed smile.

Stepping off a rooftop, he instantly landed a blow against Lord, shattering his jaw and blasting the surface of his skull clean off with a follow-up Eldritch blast for good measure. Hearing a satisfying cry of pain, the cosmic anomaly just smiled wryly as he lowered one hand to his side while keeping the ephemeral vapor exuding hand aimed at the regenerating Maxwell.

"I'm surprised," Phantom began to say with a dry chuckle, the glint of his eyes shining beneath the shroud his hat made over his upper features. "For all of that bluster and power you've thrown around, it seems that forces outside of myself can handle those of your ilk. Perhaps you're all bark and not so much for bite, are you, Maxwell?"

Snarling, Maxwell's shadowy aura ignited in a thick miasma of black tongues, his eyes burning a bright coal of crimson. His teeth bared, the psychic gathered magic enhanced psionic energies around his hands in revolving spheres of visceral light. Thrusting them outward, letting loose a chaotic lance that penetrated the chest of the stranger in his eyes.

Only for said stranger to disappear into a viscous fog. Turning his head left and right, he'd feel a yank below, see for a moment a gloved hand wrapped around his suit leg's ankle. Unable to retaliate, he let out a cursing cry as he'd be thrown down into the alleyway below, embedding his frame with his bloodied body before the black fog would knit his clothes and body back together seconds later.

"Give up, Lord," Phantom intoned lowly, his hand engulfed in Eldritch light, casting a sickly green hue in the dark walled corner while his concealed eyes glared at him beneath the hem of his hat. "This can only end as poorly as it did your partner."

"Asshole!" Maxwell swore, his blackened aura bubbling around him as he peeled himself from the gravel with sickening cracks. "I'm going to paint this city with your blood!"

"It's unfortunate I can't believe you to accomplish that," Phantom grinned grimly back. "Fortunately for you, thanks to your dark master, I can most assuredly do the same with your blood. Want to stress test that?"

Grinding his molars tightly, Maxwell felt incited to retaliate until a dark voice growled in his mind and made him pale into stillness.

" _ **Maxwell Lord, what are you doing wasting your time here?!**_ "

Trembling in place, Phantom's eyes perceived a black shroud apart from Maxwell loom over him, its red eyes bore into the petrified psychic.

"I-I am fighting an enemy whose been impeding my search-"

" _ **What enemy?! I see nothing!**_ "

"...impossible," Maxwell's eyes look up, suddenly seeing nothing but thin air. Desperately he turned this way and that, a futile search with his own mind sought thoughts of his enemy only to realize that hadn't worked at all. Was he fighting a ghost, or was this all some clever illusion? No, the injuries were sincere and tangible. What was that man?!

" _ **It appears that my powers have taken a toll on your sanity, Maxwell,**_ " His voice ebbed with a shred of doubt in his own choice of words, as if he knew something his servant didn't. Regardless, its red eyes saw a wisp of smoke, a trace of magical presence that had left a mark on the land and that couldn't have been conjured by just anybody. Disregarding it, he whispered in his mind in a surprising calm. " _ **This is but a temporary setback. I was slighted by an unexpected variable and this just proves just how much this world of mortals has changed since I was here**_."

"It sounds like you found other candidates to be contracted," Maxwell murmured, beginning to lift himself off the ground under his own power.

" _ **In a manner of speaking,**_ " He spoke in a curdling sneer. His voice gave the impression of twisting into a sinister grin, making Lord shudder, even in the comforting embrace that had nullified the pain of his own psychic powers. " ** _Let's say it helps to have made contact within this alleged League's tower._** "

* * *

The Titans had only just begun to recover when they were ushered towards the docks; led by of all people, Galatea.

It was a numbing sensation, to be saved by someone they had narrowly avoided death and defeat from twice in a matter of days. Her presence had left them stunned, to the point even a chatterbox like Jesse couldn't form words. Ace herself hadn't sensed her thoughts, as discombobulated as she was, meant she was hanging in the lower atmosphere at least to avoid her sense of awareness. The heat vision was so intense that it gave clarity that if she wanted to, she couldn't annihilated them all on the spot if she felt compelled to.

Yet, for some reason, she was a lot more mellow. Robin looked warily from Annie as he walked gingerly with her back as support, leaving Mary to keep Jesse braced on herself and Jaime keeping an eye on the stubborn Roy to make sure he wouldn't fall over; making Ace who suffered the least injuries, to walk by Robin's other side. The leader of the team saw that Flag had fished out the body of the light-archer, purging his effects and going a separate direction with Cross, seemingly handing over the reins to someone like the Argonian Clone.

As they reached the end of the docks, Ace consciously made aware that this place was also isolated like it was for the previous street that was used in their battle. It was more than likely because of Checkmate's meddling, to isolate an assured battle that was meant to be keep from being an international incident. Looping around a tugboat came a shimmering shape, like a mirage, floating next to the most decrepit of spots with a landing ramp unfolding from its cloaked shell.

"This is-" Annie began to ask, only for Roy to finish for her.

"A Javelin," He grimly said, his teeth biting into his lower lip with agitation. Turning to look at Galatea, he inquired with a snarl at the short bob-haired blonde. "Did the League put you up to this?"

"Kinda, not really," She answered ambiguously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin asked with an irate tone of his.

" _You_ ," She pointedly turned her head, staring hard enough for him to feel himself shrink under her glare, "will see soon enough."

Exchanging looks with the rest of the group, he shrugged with his free shoulder and walked up the ramp with the rest of them. Finding themselves drawn past the initial compartment of the interstellar vessel, the assembled group would be drawn to a halt before seating themselves to see whom was standing next to the pilot seat. Making a single glance to Galatea, the Argonian Clone nodded before taking the pilot seat and the Dark Knight almost glided up to Robin, looming over the teenager as he cast a bat-shaped shadow over him and most of the team.

"Nice of you to join us, _Teen Titans_ ," He smoothly greeted with a dark emphasis on the team name. "Looks like you're in a bit of a delicate situation. Let's talk about it, shall we?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally. Done. At last.


End file.
